P.O.B.

Who am I kidding, right? I can't stop blogging, even though I'm moving out of town!

So I heard about a phone company that wants to playback 5 to 10-second advertising messages over your cell phone before you place any calls. They are hoping this service will in turn make cell phone calls free. It's an untapped area of advertising, yet has millions of alert ears. Mobile phones these days are more like handheld computers and consumers spend as much as eight to 10 hours a day talking, texting and using the Web on these devices, advertising becomes a viable form of subsidy.

Please vote in the poll and leave comments below.

This will be my last blog and the hardest one to write, because I have announced my resignation as Senior Web Producer for FOX 2.  I've spent nine years at the station, dating back to 1999 when we launched fox2ktvi.com.  The last two years have been the most rewarding.  I've enjoyed sharing my life with you.  You were all strangers before September 14, 2006 when myFOXstl.com launched, and some of you have become the best of friends--or the worst of enemies.  No matter how you look at it though, it's truly been remarkable to see the family created here.  It's impossible to say goodbye to each and every one of you, so I hope this blog will suffice since I am not only leaving FOX 2, but leaving the St. Louis area.

An incredible opportunity awaits me in Washington, DC where I will become a department head for WUSA 9.  My position will be Digital Development Director.  The station is a legend there, and it serves 5.3 million people making it the 9th largest TV market in the country.  The station is building an online community similar to what has been established here, and I will manage several teams that will grow that community in addition to operating many other websites created by the station.

My last day at FOX 2 will be Friday, July 25th. 

Most importantly in this whole life and career change, I will finally be with Lindsey, who will be making the move with me.  She is a morning show anchor in southern Illinois and is eager to advance her career in a larger market.  We've spent 5 years living long distance, and we are excited to grow together in the same city.

You will all be missed so dearly! Ms_Vera, JillSTL, AngelaHutti and MaryMo are outstanding web producers who will continue to grow FOX 2 online.  With new TV station ownership, a re-launch of the moms site and more development in the coming months, they are fully prepared to keep the site full of great content and interactivity.

You are the largest online blogging community FOX has in the country!  Be proud!

POB

There were 8,002,530 downloads of Firefox 3 back on June 18th, and I was one of them! Mozilla has announced that they’ve officially been added to the Guinness World Records for most downloads in a 24-hour period.

So, do I get an official certificate? Should I add this into the "OTHER" category on my resume?  I don't know how to effectively add my new accomplishment to my personal history book!



If you haven't tried Firefox--the best web browser EVER--download it for free HERE.

Nothing can explain just how awesome this idea is. I only wish it would be closer, like Vegas. There are plans for the world's first revolving tower, which will be located in Dubai.

According to Building.co.uk, the 80-story tower would offer residents an ever-shifting view of the Persian Gulf as the floors spin round a central core. A few superior penthouses would be fitted with voice activation technology, allowing inhabitants to control movement. Other floors would be choreographed to create a constantly-changing silhouette. And the whole building is powered by wind turbines installed between every floor.

Other awesome images:

This is a follow-up blog to my original post about Google's Street View application. I've noticed now that parts of the St. Louis area are part of the feature where you can explore cityscapes, landmarks, points of interest from a street perspective. Find shops, restaurants, parks, hotels and more.

Here's Google's snapshot of the famous Mom's Deli at Jamieson near Landsdowne in the city.


Click here for St. Louis' Street View.

Happy browsing!

Google has been adding to their Street View feature of Google Maps for quite some time now, and it's created a lot of buzz---good and bad.  Some are even turning to lawsuits.

The feature offers 360-degree, street-level images of urban life so clear that passersby often can be identified.  The camera takes pictures every few feet of  48 different cities (St. Louis is not included yet) with more and more adding to the list.  You can find street views for Boston, Anchorage, Kansas City,  Las Vegas, Nashville, etc.  Click here for a complete list. 

Here's a snapshot from Boston:



Regarding the concerns of privacy, Stephen Chau, product manager for Google Maps says, "We take privacy concerns seriously. All these images are taken on public streets. It's exactly what you could see walking down the street."

Do you think this new technology is an invasion of privacy?

I've been through my fair share of water bottles, and I can say with confidence that because of this new one I received today, I feel like I can get back on my diet and fitness program and drink my gallon of water like my trainer says! I'm telling ya, this bottle is THE BEST.

I know water bottles aren't the biggest concerns we have in this world today, but it's been bugging me for over 2 years now, and I could never find the one that works for me. Problems I had before:

• Too big for cup holders (cars and treadmills)
• Needed to be 32oz (which is a quart, so 4 fillups a day)
  
• Leaked around the cap, which is bad if you have flavored water
  
• Sucking through straw sounded like I was using a bong in the office
• Constantly twisting off and on the lid to the bottle
• Not being able to carry it easily...not having a handle
  
• It wasn't dishwasher safe, so some parts of the bottle would "smell"

"So, tell me Patrick...what is this new bottle the angels brought to you from Heaven??" Ok ok, please know I'm not here to advertise...I'm just excited and needed a place to vent in a positive way, and if anyone has the same problem, I bring you the solution.

It's from a company called Camelbak. I wish it could find it in stores here, but no luck. I think I got it on Amazon.

No leaks, nice straw, 32 ounces, nifty handle, dishwasher safe, tall and slender for fitting in cupholders easily...and after trying and buying way too long, I'm done. Yippie.

OK, we know it's cold out there right now, and the blue recycle bin is out in the garage. I really don't like bringing the cold air into the house each time I put an empty soda can in the bin. So, I went out to buy another 13-gallon trash can for the kitchen (and another matching one)--but only for recycled items. And to my surprise...

I'm recycling more!



All the junk mail, newspapers I don't read, shredded docs, bottles, food boxes and smaller items are so much easier to recycle when the bin is right there in front of you! After just one day of doing this, I think 80% of my trash is going into recycling! And it keeps my house warmer :)

(This post was also added to the FOXe national post at blogs.myfoxstl.com/blogs/foxe)

Hearing reports today about officials finding six different types of prescription drugs in Heath Ledger's apartment made me think of this poll:



Vote in the above poll, then feel free to comment below. Thoughts always appreciated.

For 12 short days, we are welcoming five bright young students from Lindenwood University's St. Charles campus to learn about media convergence. Media convergence is the melding together of different media (such as in this case, television and the Internet).

Journalism Program Manager Julie Beard and her students are at the station each weekday morning from January 3rd through January 18th, 2008. Their assignments will cover: the basics of blogging, providing a student’s perspective of a story as they follow a reporter, understanding social networking as it applies to news, and discussing opportunities in the media industry. This is a professional journalism laboratory course and also the first time FOX 2 has partnered with a university to provide a hands-on learning experience completely taught at the station.

And the great part is that the St. Louis community is encouraged to contribute to their experience! In fact, it's part of the course! Check out their blogs and please comment on them. We are privileged to be partnering with Lindenwood University, and we hope this experience will be the first of many more curriculums in the future.

SARA: Hello everyone! I'm a junior at Lindenwood University and currently majoring in mass communications with an emphasis on television. I currently work at United Services where I am an assistance teacher for three year-olds. In my spare time I enjoy long shopping days, movies, and just... >>VISIT BLOG


DAN: Just in case anyone was wondering who this Dan Sonderman guy is, and chances are you're not but, I’m going to tell you anyway. By day I’m a mild mannered student majoring in journalism, by night I work a hospital supply room delivering supplies to medical people. I also free-lance for... >>VISIT BLOG


MELISSA: I am a senior at Lindenwood University. I am majoring in journalism and am the managing editor of LU's newspaper, The Legacy. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with family and friends. I also love going to Ted Drewes and writing poetry... >>VISIT BLOG


CHELSEA: I am a student at Lindenwood University, planning on graduating in 2009 with a degree in Journalism. I enjoy many things: writing, eating and shopping being very high up on that list. I don't care for the cold St. Louis weather, but I can deal if it means keeping all of the great friends I... >>VISIT BLOG


JEN: I am a senior at Lindenwood anticipating my introduction into the "real world" this May. After switching majors every semester I have created my own via a contract degree. It's called Written and Visual Communications which is basically a fancy way of saying journalism with a... >>VISIT BLOG


JULIE: I am the Journalism Program Manager at Lindenwood University. I've been a TV Reporter in St. Louis, a Fox television news writer in Chicago, a popular fiction novelist, and (many moons ago) an actress at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis... >>VISIT BLOG

In an effort to get a head start in getting in shape and eating right, I went on a search online to find web sites to help me track my food and exercise. I've purchased the FitDay program, which has been very helpful in the past, but it's a software program on my home computer, and I couldn't add food quickly from work or when I'm not at home. So, after seeing some sites I wasn't impressed with, along came SparkPeople.com.

I was impressed by three things:
1. The ability to add my calories, fat, protein and carbs.
2. The fun in accumulating "points" for reading email and participating in message boards.
3. The social networking aspect. It's like MySpace but for fitness. There are people who leave motivating comments and help support you through team groups and it's very encouraging.

Here's a video about it from our friends at myFOX Chicago.

All this keeps your fitness top of mind. If you are interested in looking at my personal page, go to and see a big FAT picture of me from a few years ago. Although I look nothing like that now, it's such a great motivational picture, and I look forward to using this site to help me lose about 40 pounds by Memorial Day.

I'm doing this in combination with personal training and eating right. Please use me as a referral by clicking the logo below and signing up. Thanks for reading! Patrick



Get a Free Online Diet

myFOXstl.com and Twitter are working together to bring the latest news updates to you! We will be updating Twitter.com with all of our top St. Louis news and weather stories as they are relevant to the Twitters 24 hours a day. This is just another way of keeping the community informed as news develops.

What is Twitter? Twitter is a community of friends and strangers from around the world sending updates about moments in their lives. Friends near or far can use Twitter to remain somewhat close while far away. Curious people can make friends. Bloggers can use it as a mini-blogging tool. Possibilities are endless!

How do I use Twitter? If you haven't used Twitter.com before, it's easy (and can be quite addictive). Once you log in, you can choose to "follow" us at Twitter.com/myfoxstl and then will have our news stories sent to your Twitter friends account.

How do I see myFOXstl.com updates?
You can login to Twitter.com at your computer, or you can have updates sent via TXT messaging. So no matter where you are, you can always stay informed courtesy of FOX 2 News and myfoxstl.com.

SEE WHAT YOU'RE MISSING BY VISITING OUR TWITTER PAGE HERE!.

As reported on FOX 2: "St. Louis takes the top spot when it comes to two common sexually transmitted diseases. A CDC report shows St. Louis leads the nation in infection rates for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. Nearly 7,500 cases of the two diseases were reported last year. City health officials met to figure out what to do about the growing problem. Nationally, the number of diagnosed cases of Chlamydia topped 1 million last year...the highest ever. "

We almost got the hat trick...although Syphilis wasn't even close.

Here's the complete report from the CDC.

Did anyone hear the EAS (Emergency Alert System) take over the radio airwaves Tuesday morning?  I have not listened to local morning radio in a while (hooked on Sirius Satellite Radio), but of all days, TODAY was the day I decided to hear what's been going on with Guy Phillips, Craig Cornett, and other morning radio shows.

In the middle of Guy, Jen and Court's call-in segment about great summer jobs, BAM! you hear those high-pitched tones and blips, followed by LOTS and LOTS of static.  After about a minute (which is an ETERNITY in radio), I started flipping the dial and noticing everyone else with the same problem.  But, the whole time I didn't think we were in an actual emergency (must be immune to those tests), so I just started laughing my butt off! 

 You must know my history...I used to be Guy's morning show producer about 10 years ago (when it was Guy and Michelle Dibble) and anytime something would go really wrong--especially something you couldn't control--it was crazy behind the scenes. I could only imagine the crew was pulling out booklets, making phone calls to engineering, trying to get as much control as they could.  And what bad timing! It was a really great call-in segment that became an instant buzzkill.

 Then I started hearing commercials from 550 AM KTRS?!   On Y98's air?? After a couple minutes of that, Y98's commercials started playing, and Guy came back on the air and tried to explain to his audience what was going on.  He said they were all in extreme panic, because it was flagged as an actual alert, not a test, and this has never happened to him in his career!  They explained how KTRS was the flagship station for news when there is an EAS activation, but someone must have hit the wrong button and it blew out the whole radio frequency.

 Did anyone else hear this?  Was anyone in a panic?

The nation’s oldest and largest frequent flier program quietly announced on June 1 that anyone who does not earn or redeem miles at least once every 18 months will lose all the banked miles in their accounts. Previously, the time limit was three years.

I received a notice via e-mail from American Airlines three days later about this change.

Read the New 18-Month Mileage Retention Policy here.

It was also featured on MousePrint.org.

It doesn't take effect until December 17th, but it's retroactive, so if your AAdvantage program hasn't been active since June 15, 2006, on December 17th of this year, you'll lose them!

MousePrint.org suggests an easy way to earn miles (and keep your account alive) is to buy something online at a store that gives AA miles with every purchase, or donate a minimum of 250 miles to certain charities.

If you lose all your miles, American Airlines will generously allow you to buy them back for $50 per 5000 miles, plus a $30 processing fee.

What do you think about all this?