Why I’m not on TV

I’ve never been afraid of making funny faces. I don’t care how ridiculous I look as I contort and stretch my cheeks, or scrunch up my neck. The “cabbage patch” look, however, is my favorite. It works in any occasion.

And with any friend.

And while I’ve always known I have a fairly expressive/flexible face, I never know how much so until I recorded a television demo. You see, I’ve done radio for years, so I thought television would be a piece of cake. “Just act natural,” one of the veteran anchors at FOX40 told me. “Okay, I can do that,” I thought. But little did I know that “natural” meant faces like this:

And like this:

 And this:

Or finally, this:

At first, I thought this might be because the screengrabs caught me at unnatural angles, and right in the middle of speech. But when I looked through other recordings, I noticed the other anchors just didn’t make these strange looks. Had they learned how to “control” their facial features? Or maybe they naturally don’t have a crazy face like mine?

This is why they are the professional television people, and I’m the radio person. When I watched my demo, I realized why. Even though my voice sounds normal, and I was not nervous, I still look like a “deer in the headlights”. It’s so bad, it makes me laugh. There’s no way I can ever use this demo except for to make fun of myself, which luckily, I really, really love doing. So now, I will show you my demo, so you can make fun of me as well

After shooting my demo, I sent it to one of my friends, Travis Mayfield, who was a television news reporter for years. A few of his comments: don’t be afraid of big hair, don’t be afraid to move your hands, darker colors are better than white on a fair person, pretend like you’re talking to a real person behind the camera. My Mom suggested shiny lip gloss, and curlier hair. I agree with all their insight, but then I realized that I’m just more comfortable in front of a radio microphone. I can throw on a pair of sweats and wear no makeup, and still cover breaking news like a pro. I can stand in the studio and make all the weird faces I want while I read my news stories. I can drink wine on the job (heh).

Someday, I think I’d like to learn how to do TV. I think the next step is to stand in front of a mirror for hours, practicing scripts and watching my expressions. As soon as I start to do the “deer in the headlights” look I’ll stop, recalibrate, and tone down my excitment level. I love the news, and I love reading it on-air in my “news voice.” It’s been one of my passions for years.

If you’re a news person out there, how did you learn to manage your “television” face?

Things I learned as a news web producer: Corpses and Sex sell

I’ve learned a lot working as a web producer at FOX40 news in Sacramento. I’ve learned that people who comment on our station’s Facebook page are crazier than people who call the newsroom. I’ve learned that driving through South Sacramento is like cruising through a funny farm. And I’ve learned that people, in the evenings, like stories about corpses and sex, and galleries of tragic things like Amy Winehouse or uncomfortable things like awkward family pet photos or “sexy” things like Comicon Babes.

My routine goes like this: I arrive around 3:30pm, and immediately scan KTLA and WPIX for weird stories. Anything disgusting will do the trick. You see, a major part of my job is getting clicks for the website, and I’ve learned what will do just that it in the evenings. A couple days ago, I saw a story titled, “Corpse Wakes up in a Morgue Refrigerator“, and knew I hit a gold mine. Sure enough, people began sharing it on Facebook, and it got a thousand or so clicks in a short time period. The next day I came to work, I was rewarded with this (check out items, 2, 4 and 6)

Sacramento seems to have a similar fascination with penises. The day the news broke about the woman who cut her husband’s penis off and put it in the garbage disposal (allegedly), our “Most Viewed/Emailed” list looked like this (check out items, 1,2 and 10)

Then, when I posted the story about the couple caught having sex in a public pool for 30 minutes, it stayed on our website under the “Most Viewed/Emailed” list for days. DAYS, people.

Soon, I will be leaving FOX40 to do reporting and producing for KGO 810 radio in San Francisco. I am very excited about my new adventure in life, but the FOX40 Facebook fans and website clickers may be disappointed by the lack of stories about corpses, sex and other morbid things. As a little going away gift, I left them these stories tonight:

Glendale Man Tries to Remove Hernia Using Butter Knife

Girl, 6, Accused of Trying to Drown Litter of Puppies

Children Find Human Head at Retired Doctor’s Home

I think people often get bored with bland stories about fires, murders and bank robberies, and are more likely to click on the strange. Makes sense, right? Some of these stories are so outrageous, they don’t even seem real.

I’ll miss trolling through our news partners’ website for disgusting, strange or awkward stories to put on in the evening hours of my shift. Maybe some nights you’ll see me, sending out odd stories on Twitter, reminiscing about my evenings at FOX40.

The pluses and minuses of Google+ (from a non-techie)

So, I’ve read a lot of news articles/tech blogs about this social networking platform called Google+. Most of them are written by techies, and people familiar with the intricacies of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Stumblr, Flickr, Picasa, you name it, they know it. I’m going to write a simple review from the perspective of a normal person who happens to use Facebook for her personal life, and Twitter for her professional life. Will Google+ knock Facebook on its rear? So far, I’m not sure.

One part of Google+ I REALLY like so far is the concept of “Circles”. You can name Circles whatever you like, mine are along the lines of “Friends”, “Family”, “Acquaintances”, “News Peeps”, “Twitter Peeps.” I think this will allow people to interact on Google+ in an entirely new way. It’s more personal than Twitter, but more versatile than Facebook. When you type a status update or add a photograph, you select which “Circle” it goes in. For example, I may (or may not) choose to share a photo of myself drinking a beer with everyone. Instead, maybe I just want my “Friends” to see it, so I click that circle. So far, since not a lot of people have received invites to Google+, I find myself interacting with mostly people I don’t know, who I’ve conveniently placed in the “New Peeps” or “Twitter Peeps” circles. I really haven’t posted much, so have made all my posts “Public”, so far, but I love that there’s an option to pick who sees what, and the ability to see posts from people you may not know in person. For example, I could follow Mark Zuckerberg on Google+. Here’s an example of “Circles”:

Another neat thing I experienced for the first time on Google+ was a “Hangout.” Someone I follow on Twitter, who orchestrates the web journalist chats every Wednesday, started a “Hangout” on Google+ tonight. I joined in, even though I don’t have a webcam or microphone cabalities, and was able to participate using the sidebar to add notes and chat with other participants. At one point, there were four people in the video chatroom, and the camera someone knew to switch to the speaker’s face. It must be sensitive to the microphone, and jumps around depending on who is speaking. The only type of webchat I’ve seen so far is one-on-one, so found this to be particularly interesting. Imagine connecting with people with similar interests across the country, and chatting with 10 people at a time, or brainstorming ideas through colleagues you’ve met on Twitter? This could do wonders for traveling business-people, who could use “Hangouts” to join in on meetings. Or, it could be just a fun way to interact with friends who live across the country. I can see myself sitting at home, enjoying a cocktail, doing videochatting with all my best friends at once. You can even share YouTube videos with each other in this manner.

One of the main drawbacks so far of Google+ is the fact that nobody is on it, nobody’s playing in the sandbox. None of my friends or family members are there, and I doubt they’d be thrilled to try out yet another social networking platform. I’m guessing I’ll be interacting with colleages or Twitter friends for a while to come, but once my friends/family join, I could see this as a competitor to Facebook. It’s highly-organized, efficient, and even suggests articles you might like based on your interests (Sparks). Also, I like that I can “chat” with other Google+ users and my Gmail buddies, and when I log into Gmail, I can immediately see if I’ve had any action over on Google+.

The other drawback to Google+ is having to type out that darn + sign all the time. My left pinky is tired, just at the end of this post So, if you’re on Google_, please, come find me, come play in the sandbox!

Twitter: A Massive, Buzzing Newsroom

I think of Twitter as a massive, buzzing newsroom, where journalists converse, share breaking news, and joke around. Most of the people I follow on Twitter are reporters and news stations, the majority of them stretching up and down the west coast, with a few sprinkled in from the east. I also believe most of the people who follow me back are reporters as well. Out of all my friends and family, only one person is on Twitter, making me wonder, do normal people “Tweet?”

Whenever there’s breaking news, forget the TV stations or websites, I go straight to Twitter. Last night, when the earthquake struck in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, journalists started tweeting like crazy. And we didn’t pause to write our own web stories first and link back to our pages for the clicks, we sent out Tweets including USGS earthquake information, links to NOAA and the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, links to information directly from the source. Using my own and Twitter’s resources, I was quickly able to Tweet breaking news from the FOX40 account as well as my own, and write up a web story that I sent to The Tribune Company, which in turn posted my story on Tribune websites across the country. Reporters re-tweeting each other and various news stations, all of our collective heads buzzing with this breaking news and the best way to share it.

Aside from breaking news, Twitter is a great way for journalists to make connections and mingle with other like-minded neurotics. For example, I was conversing with the two reporters who broke the “Whitey” Bulger story from the L.A. Times. For me, the ability to praise these two investigative journalists and have them respond back was like writing to celebrities, and getting @ replies from their accounts. Yes, I’m that big of a geek:

View “Tweets with L.A. Times reporters” on Storify

I also got an @reply from CNN’s Don Lemon, which was equally thrilling.

Another favorite part of being a journalist on Twitter are the weekly journalist chats. Every Monday, I participate in #journchat, and every Wednesday, I stick my nose in #wjchat. The second chat is my favorite because it specifically targets web journalists and some of the challenges we face. I love interacting with such talented journalists and brainstorming ideas. I’ve met new Twitter friends through #wjchat and learned about Storify and Crowdsourcing. I haven’t quite figured out Crowdsourcing but I know other journalists have found it useful.

Another way Twitter is wildly successful is with public relations/news alerts. At FOX40, we often find out about breaking news through Tweets by local law enforcement, firefighting agencies. They can keep us posted through Tweets rather than constantly fielding calls from dozens of reporters at news stations across town. They tweet locations and details I can include in a web story. They tell reporters where to meet up with them. And through public relations or public affairs, I often find story ideas on Twitter, and links to press releases and resources.

So, I think Twitter is one of the best inventions for journalists. I often wonder what other groups are huge on Twitter. I know people in the writing/publishing industry use it constantly, as well as “mommy bloggers.” Who else uses Twitter? And if you use Twitter, what about it do you find the most useful?

Central Mexico is in my kitchen. Chilaquiles heaven.

When I was living in Mexico in 2001, and when I went back to visit with David a couple years ago, I completely went nuts over chilaquiles. Chilaquiles are made with either red or green sauce, tortilla chips, and then are topped with either eggs for a breakfast meal, or chicken for lunch or dinner. Here is a delightful plate of chilaquiles from Mexico City with chicken. I was in heaven while inhaling this dish.

I had yet to recreate chilaquiles, until I found a recipe in the new cookbook I’m obsessed with, Truly Mexican. I bought heirloom tomatoes, roasted them, blended them with serrano and garlic, then simmered the ranchero sauce with onion for twenty minutes, along with a pinch of salt, sugar and cinnamon. Then, I made tortilla chips from scratch by poking holes in corn tortillas, chopping them into 8 triangles, and frying them in 1/2 inch of olive oil on the stove. Best. Decision. EVER. These chips were crunchy, mildy salty, and delicious. I don’t know if I could go back to storebought chips after eating these.

I put the chips in the ranchero sauce for about 2 minutes, then transferred them to a plate along with the most perfect eggs made by David. We topped the plates with freshly-chopped onion, cilantro, cojita cheese and Mexican crema.

I was trying hard to take a few photos and not drink this all down immediately. The chips weren’t soggy, but perfectly crunchy in the sauce.

The salty cojita and slightly sour crema were awesome toppings for the ranchero sauce, which was flavorful from the heirlooms, but not too spicy.

Just looking at these pictures is making me starving for a second helping. I’m going to have to make these again, pronto! Maybe next time with a spicy green sauce and shredded chicken. I think authentic Mexican food is one of my most favorite cuisines in the world!

In which I make Mexican “Pipian” sauce from scratch, then die in pumpkin-seed heaven

So, today I decided to try to make a Mexican “Pipian”, or pumpkin seed sauce from scratch. I always crave the authentic Mexican dishes, unlike the food you find here in the United States with gloppy cheese, runny refried beans and hardly any spice. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I heard Roberto Santibanez interviewed on NPR’s “The Splendid Table.” He described cooking Mexican food as not learning tons of recipes, but by learning techniques. And that’s what his book, Simply Mexican, is all about. There are chapters on salsas, moles, guacamoles, side dishes, and ways to combine these sauces with various meats and fish. He describes peppers in great detail and other Mexican ingredients, and entire paragraphs on cooking techniques. It’s fun and easy to read, and makes me feel like I’m in a cooking class.

I heard him describe the Pipian sauce on The Splendid Table, and decided to give this sauce a try. It features the smooth, creamy texture of green pumpkin seeds with the bite of serrano peppers.

Pumpkin seeds, serranos, garlic, onion and cilantro

First, I toasted 1 cup of pumpkin seeds on the stove for about 5 minutes until they were brown and a little swollen.

Toasted pumpkin seeds!

Next, I threw the pumpkin seeds, chopped serranos, onion, Mexican oregano, cumin, garlic and chicken broth in the blender and let it whirl for three minutes. Yes, it was very noisy. Yes, it was worth it.

Blending all the goodies!

After I blended the ingredients, I added them to a 3.5 quart sauce pan and simmered, stirring and adding more broth, for 20 minutes.

It started looking a little chunky throughout the cooking process, but Roberto assured me that it’s okay, that sometimes it starts looking like scrambled eggs, haha. Mine didn’t get that chunky, but when it was done cooking, I threw it into a blender with 1/2 cup of cilantro, and it took on a beautiful, creamy, brighter green consistency.

OMG, the deliciousness of it all. I can’t help but eat spoonsfulls of this. It’s creamy yet spicy, with wonderful flavors. I hope there’s some left when David gets home.

I’m going to serve this over shrimp later, with another recipe out of the book for an easy side of black beans. It just calls for a can of black beans, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano, cooked in a small saucepan and mashed up a bit. I’ll also make rice to sop up that delectable sauce.

Earlier this week, I cooked a salsa out of the cookbook, which came out equally delicious. Here is the recipe:

Roast 2 serrano peppers and several tomatoes 8 inches under broiler. 15 minutes for serranos, 30 mins for tomatoes. Remove skins. Mash 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp kosher salt and peppers in molcajete, then add tomatoes and mash those as well!

We ate that up in one day. I hope I’m on my way to becoming a Mexican cook, thanks to my new cookbook, Truly Mexican!

In which I experience “shoe lust” for the first time

I’m not the kind of girl who owns billions of pairs of shoes, neatly organized on racks in the closet, a style and type for any occasion. Nope, I wear one or two pairs into the ground before I go out shoe shopping again. My trusty Cole Haan boots are breaking apart; the toe now looks like a little mouth with a lower lip and an upper lip. The heels have been redone at the cobbler. The leather is a dusty black. But I keep wearing those trusty shoes. Why not? They match with anything, and no one is really looking at  my shoes. Right? Right?

I’ve always thought my non-lust with shoes is a good thing. I don’t spend gobs of money on shoes, I don’t overcrowd my closet with boxes. I’m a simple girl, with simple tastes. Right?

Well, not until I discovered the utter, unadulterated, artistic beauty of Argentine Tango shoes. The only thing that bums me out is that I can’t wear these shoes anywhere but to dance tango. They are made of beautiful leather, with suede or leather soles, and I can’t risk ruining them on harsh surfaces other than a dance floor.

So far, I’ve been dancing tango in my 5 year old ballroom shoes, which are fraying, falling apart, and disgusting. If you look hard enough, you can see the safety pin on one strap. So, yeah, time to get new shoes.

I started my hunt for the best tango shoes. I thought I could pop down to a shoe store in town and by them. Wrong. They are hand-crafted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I either have to order them online, buy them at a tango festival, or buy them from a specialty retailer. I started lusting after Comme il Faut’s, a very popular tango shoe that is an artistic beauty, and $200 a pop. Ugh. I have never spent $200 on a pair of shoes. SHOES, for god’s sakes. But, now, wow, I’m in love. Luckily, I googled the word “used”, and came up with a wonderful website where people sell their used Commes. However, many of these pairs were only worn once, or never, people just had the money to buy many, many pairs. So, my inbox is crowded with photos of gorgeous shoes, and I can’t stop staring. Can I please have them all? (Editors Note: Usually, you cannot see full photographs of Comme il Faut shoes. The shoemaker only allows retailers to display photos of a small portion of the shoe so the designs aren’t stolen. So you better feel lucky you’re seeing these). Oh, the beauty, the beauty.

Okay, I’m starting to die here. Love the t-strap and the double ankle strap on these.I should take a break.

Seriously, how will I ever choose? Too bad they are $150-$175 per piece. They are either 3.75 or 4 inch heels. Holy mother of gorgeousness.

These next ones are a little too wild for me, but aren’t they stylin’?

So, as you can see, I have some tough decisions ahead. Which are your favorites? I’m leaning toward the top two as starter pairs, since I want them to go with black and white clothes. What do I do????
These shoes put my ratty, nasty ballrooms to shame. I think I might have found a new obsession.