The newsroom

Dow nosedives faster than a 777

So I'm at home yesterday afternoon not really paying attention to the television, even though it was on in the background, when all of a sudden I hear Speaker Nancy Pelosi's voice announcing that the House had failed to pass the Wall Street bailout plan.

And then in another corner of the screen is the Dow.

The more she and the Democratic leaders talked about the lack of deal, the steeper it fell.

Analysis I've read online today suggests that's because traders on Wall Street then realized just how far apart the two parties are in coming to a real agreement.

But it was quite extraordinary, these two things in motion at the same time, one reflecting the other, one influencing the other.

When the trading was over for the day it took a good ten minutes to tally up all the losses. Even after 4 p.m. the Dow just kept going lower and lower, faster and faster.

And so it hit on 777. Like a doomed airliner, it had nosedived.

That's kind of what it felt like to watch it all happen in real time, too. Like you were watching a plane crash.

I don't know about you, but I'm still not satisfied with the explanations I'm hearing for why this has happened and what exactly Treasury Secretary Paulson believes his requested $700 billion will do to reverse it.

But I listen intently to all these men and women far more educated than I'll ever be try to explain it.

And then I realize, well, they don't really know much more than the rest of us. They just use bigger words.

Matthew Nordin | mnordin@wmbfnews.com

How important is reaching out?

I listened to a message this morning that really made me think about how often I help other people. The speaker asked us how much we worry about meeting our needs before anyone else's needs. Meals, clothing, social life, and work were a few examples…Some of which (clothing) I could probably use less.

He touched on advertisements. How many clothing ads promote making us look better? How many companies encourage us to buy the most luxurious car, home or product etc? I really don’t see too many advisements that promote us to be there for people.

There are some out there though.

The speaker said fear of rejection is a big reason a lot of people don’t reach out. So many people have been burned by trying to pursue a relationship with someone, or by even trying to give their time to that person. That fear of rejection comes back to us worrying about ourselves again. He said it’s not about how we feel in the end. It’s about the idea of thinking outside ourselves to make a difference in someone else’s life.

He challenged everyone in the room to put aside their own priorities and to reach out to one person this week. It can be something as simple as responding to a friend in need or digging deeper than a simple, “how are you?” I really do believe the fruit of our actions come back around in the end.

Check out this  Coca Cola Commercial . It's a little crazy how he helps people but it's pretty neat. 

Tayleigh Davis|Tayleighdavis@wmbfnews.com

Governing Body or Three Ring Circus?

Most people in the news business will tell you their least favorite stories to cover are government meetings. In most cases, they’re long and well, boring. However, I actually enjoy going to council meetings. It may sound kind of bad, but I find them entertaining.

During high school and college I covered plenty of county council meetings in my hometown for a local radio station. Our council always provided good news headlines and inspired hilarious commentary for the next morning’s talk shows. Just so you don't think I’m exaggerating, I’ll give you an example. One year a councilman actually suggested the county should "park those EMS vehicles" when the department was over budget due to unexpected rises in gas prices. I could give you many more, but I would lose the real point of this blog.

Sure, there are always interesting stories coming out of council meetings every once in a while, but this council could pitch a tent and charge admission for the circus they had on a regular basis. I always thought this council was one of a kind. However, that changed after I moved to the Grand Strand and had to cover an Atlantic Beach town council meeting.

Now, I was definitely amused. While I’ve seen council members argue before and even insult each other, I have never seen a council so dysfunctional that they spend half an hour to an hour arguing over whether to even have a meeting and then adjourn before anything on the agenda is even addressed! Barnum and Bailey have nothing on this group.

However, as much fun as I could have going on about the antics of this council's meeting history, I have a more important point to make. When it comes to disagreeing, fine – have different opinions. A group of people won't always have the same opinion all the time. However, when people's jobs are on the line and when you're so bad off that you can't even pay your power bill, that needs to serve as a wake up call. When there is still a valid option on the table that could save so many people grief, you need to get it together. Do your job! You were elected to look out for the best interest of your town and its residents. Shame on the council members who would rather preserve a deserted piece of land instead of doing what is seemingly in the best interest of their employees and citizens.

I say all that to say this: everyone should go register to vote for the upcoming election season. Whether you really care about who becomes your next president or not, you should at least care about who is in charge of your town or city or county. You get to decide who sits on these councils and either helps your community to thrive and develop or who runs it into the ground. Don’t sit back and wait until things don't go your way to complain when you didn't even vote. You get a say, so take control by getting registered to vote.

Jennifer Robinson | jenniferrobinson@wmbfnews.com 

Let the Visiting Begin!

The past few times I blogged, I told you about my experiences travelling around the Southeast part of the country and getting to know these areas.  I have so enjoyed my travels, but now, it's my turn to show off the Grand Strand and Pee Dee to my visitors.

Starting tomorrow, I have a slew of guests descending on my Myrtle Beach (1 bedroom...) apartment over the course of two and a half weeks.  And I can't be more excited.  I know all my guests will bring a little piece of "home" with them, and I can only hope that I can provide them with a fun trip that they'll (hopefully) want to make again! 

So I beg of you, readers, please send me ideas on where to take them and what to do with them!  Restaurants, entertainment venues, nature-y type places... anything!  Obviously they are not picky or they wouldn't want to hole up with my crazy dog, Remo, and myself in our cozy, one bedroom apartment.

All comments welcome! Future postings will contain ideas of great things to do with guests in Myrtle Beach!

Paula Caruso | pcaruso@wmbfnews.com

Who's Spying On You?

Paula had a really interesting story this morning about all the ways people can find out information about you online. She's discovered websites that track the names of your family members, all of your past addresses, who knows...maybe even all your past hairstyles! (Now that would be scary.)

It's stunning how much information about us is online.

Not to mention how much we intentionally put online with websites like Twitter, where mundane tasks like getting dressed and buying coffee suddenly seem fascinating discussion in cyberspace.

Plus, so many of us have e-mail accounts online that --- as John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, discovered last week --- is apparently pretty easy to hack into. According to one story I read, hackers go online to discover things about you so they can try to steal your password. When they get your mother's maiden name and your birthdate, they're pretty much set.

Paula's story reminds us how careful we have to be with the information we give out and how we have to monitor whether there's anything shady going on with our finances or online image.

Matthew Nordin | mnordin@wmbfnews.com

Bonnie Hunt Fans

So I don't know about you...but Paula Caruso and I are loving the new Bonnie Hunt Show that just started last week.

Bonnie's one of those comedians/actresses you see everywhere. No matter what she's in, she's always stealing the scene. And you just wonder --- Why doesn't this woman have her own show?

Well, now she does.

I think what I like most is how she just sits at the top of the show and tells you what's going on in her life, from rats invading her house to her dog passing away. She's genuine. She's funny. And thank goodness someone's getting work in Hollywood who actually has some talent!

I thought there for a while I was going to be stuck with Paris and Lindsay Lohan. You know, you can only watch the same train wreck a few times before you begin to get bored.

Paula tells me what she likes most about the Bonnie Hunt Show is how Bonnie dresses down. You actually feel like this is what she wears around her house, usually a sweatshirt with a nice top. Plus, Paula likes how Bonnie calls herself out when she makes a mistake on the air and doesn't have her crew edit it out.

Paula and I tend to do the same thing on WMBF News Today. So maybe that's why we appreciate Bonnie being real. After all, you can't edit live TV!

Well, we have nothing to do with the programming that appears on WMBF News. But we're sure glad the suits chose Bonnie. If you happen to work while she's on, set your DVR! It airs at 2 p.m. every day.

We think you'll fall in love with Bonnie, too.

Matthew Nordin | mnordin@wmbfnews.com

Gas Craziness

As the rumors circled through the city and beyond that gasoline could go past $5 dollars a gallon, people lined up at gas stations to clean them dry.  I didn't know about the possibility of gas rising during the time when my tank was near empty, so no matter what it was time to fill up.  Luckily, I just made it past the rush.  One of the gas stations in Carolina Forest had a decent amount of people when I arrived, nothing out of the ordinary, but it was a different story when I finished filling up.  I just made it before the gas station was packed. The next day we had a report on our news that gas had gone up to over $5 in Florence county.  I knew that day would come, but I never thought I would actually see it on a sign this soon.  I'm just glad it's going back down so I don't have to be confined to my apartment or trade in my car for a moped.

How Far is TOO Far?

You may have noticed a story on our website titled, "Good SC student suspended over blade in sharpener." I sure did, and I think it's a perfect example of how sometimes, good intentions can go too far.

I realize that there is a real danger when it comes to weapons in school. One can easily think back to numerous incidents such as Columbine or Virginia Tech. However, there is just no sense in making a mockery of yourself by making an example of an innocent child who simply broke his pencil sharpener.

We are talking about educators, and they should think about the intention before simply trying to make an example out of a student. There are bad apples, but there are also good kids who either make mistakes or just get caught up in bad circumstances. I mean, seriously, how easy is it for a 10-year-old who broke his pencil sharpener to just carelessly toss it into his backpack instead of immediately thinking "danger!" and rushing to throw it in the trash?

Now, do not think I am bashing educators who are trying to keep schools safe for all students. My mom is a teacher in the state of South Carolina, and I have the utmost respect for what she does. However, my mom knows her students well enough to know what type of discipline or rather what degree of discipline is appropriate and reasonable.

The school district spokesman said while they have a zero-tolerance policy, he still wants to be "reasonable." However, the reports say this kid was a good student, well-behaved, and was upset at being suspended. So, suspending a good student for breaking his pencil sharpener and failing to throw away the blade, thereby leaving a negative mark on his permanent record that will travel with him through his entire school career (that includes trying to get into college).....where's the reason in that?

Maybe it's just me.....Feel free to weigh in and let me know your thoughts.

Jennifer Robinson | jenniferrobinson@wmbfnews.com

Grand Strand's Most Wanted

If you watched our 6 PM news on Tuesday, you probably noticed a very special segment we kicked off called "Grand Strand's Most Wanted." Every Tuesday and Friday during our 6 PM newscast, I'll be featuring fugitives on the run in hopes that you, the viewer, will recognize them and contact police. 

We'll be working very closely with Myrtle Beach Police and Horry County Police to highlight individuals with warrants out for their arrest.  It's a very good segment that aims to get the bad guys off the streets and make the community we live in a better place. 

On Tuesday, we featured fugitive, Francisco Corona.  Police say he essentially abducted his son during an authorized visit with the child, dropped the son off in Mexico, and has possibly since returned to the Myrtle Beach/Horry County area illegally.  For full details on the story and a description of Corona, check out the story on our website on our video player located on the homepage. 

Stay tuned for this Friday's second edition of the Grand Strand's Most Wanted.

Nikki Gaskins l ngaskins@wmbfnews.com

Tuning Out Ideological News

I don't know about you but I'm glad MSNBC is booting Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews from their anchor chairs during coverage of the upcoming presidential debates and election night.

NBC White House correspondent David Gregory is now going to fill that role.

While Matthews tends to hold both Republican and Democratic politicians' feet to the fire, Olbermann doesn't seem willing anymore to hear anything he perceives as negative about Senator Barack Obama's campaign.

Just ask former McCain adviser Mike Murphy who was rarely allowed on the air during prime time convention coverage. And when he was, Olbermann could be heard urging producers to wrap-up that segment.

Olbermann even got into an on-air tiff with fellow MSBNC host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, when Scarborough suggested John McCain was getting a boost in the polls.

Olbermann didn't want to hear it and asked him, "Why don't you get a shovel?"

Here's the problem with ideological news sources:

John McCain was surging in the polls, which was confirmed this week by Gallup, despite the fact it didn't fit the storyline Olbermann wanted.

I find this new trend particularly sad because Olbermann is such a talented broadcaster. When no one else wanted to talk about the difficulties American forces were facing in Iraq, Olbermann's "Countdown" program did. He asks pointed questions and his writing is at times brilliant.

But as veteran NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw recently pointed out, Olbermann and Matthews have "gone too far."

Like Brokaw, I'm not a fan of slanted news --- liberal or conservative.

I will watch FOX News during the day, for instance, but not at night when I feel like I'm getting a heavy dose of GOP talking points from Bill O'Reilly.

I'm a pretty open-minded guy. I don't believe any one party or ideology has all the answers in this country. And I really don't need Olbermann or O'Reilly editing out information they don't think their intensely partisan fans will want to hear.

NBC News has spent a generation or more building its integrity. National Public Radio and CNN are right up there, too, in my book. I give those networks a lot of my time and attention. I feel like I'm learning something from them.

But these other guys? They have me switching the channel.

Matthew Nordin | mnordin@wmbfnews.com