NBC Photo: Margaret Norton

She talked about broadcasting the news about Michael Jackson’s death and how strange it was during that first night.  She that as the day went on, more and more people showed up to pay their respects and some of them were a little unusual.

She also mentioned the coverage of the memorial service earlier this week (I personally chose to watch NBC’s feed since it seemed a lot less negative).  She said it was “really very emotional” inside of the Staples Center.

Conan talked to Meredith about the assignments the Today show has planned for her for the rest of the show and she revealed that she and her co-host, Ann Curry, would be camping out in the woods to show what it’s like to “rough it.”  When Conan pressed her on whether she actually enjoys that type of thing, she said she did and that when her kids were young, they would camp out on their lawn.  Conan seemed to accept that until Meredith said that they would pee in the bushes instead of just walking inside to go to the bathroom.  Of course, things got crazy (and funny) from there.

After seeing her report on so many serious issues on the Today show, it was really nice to see her laughing and telling silly stories.

WATCH PART 2 OF MEREDITH’S INTERVIEW

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In talking about the places he went to film the movie, Lauer uncovered and discussed the many ills Brüno had committed around the world.  He made comments about the fact that suicide bombers only blow themselves up because they wear unflattering clothing.  He implied that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger was a gay Austrian. 

The climax of the interview came when Lauer informed Brüno that the Austrian Minister to Great Britain had called for a boycott of the film.  He got all teary and emotional and delivered uniquely outrageous words of disgust. 

Watch this (but be forewarned – some viewers might find this offensive):

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• Destination weddings are very popular.  At the Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort in Rose Hall, Jamaica you can get your wedding and honeymoon combined.  For just $259/night, your package will include the  ceremony, flowers, accommodations and officiator!  That’s incredible but you haven’t heard the best thing yet!  You will also get a complimentary three-night stay to celebrate your first anniversary!  It’s really an incredible deal!
• Giving back – ecologically-conscious newlyweds can go to the Tortuga Bay Hotel in Punta Cana and work with marine biologists and wildlife biologists to help the environment while they enjoy their honeymoon.  The fourth night is free so the rate ends up being $435/night.
• Extended honeymoons – while couples used to typically go away for 5-7 days, the trend now is to vacation for 10-12 days.  Taking a South American cruise can be a great way to take a longer break without having to stay in one place or spend a lot of money.  Oceania Cruises is offering two-for-one deals, $1000 off and free roundtrip airfare.  It comes out to less than $200 per person per day.
• Finding more value – In Mexico, The Tides Riviera Maya offers two night’s accommodation for the price of one and, for $300/night, it includes breakfast.  In Florida, for less than $75/night, you can stay at the Naples Grande Beach Resort, which is a beachfront Waldorf Astoria property.

If you’d like to hear more, check out the video below:

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• Bonnie Hunt – Mary Tyler Moore, Kunal Nayyar and Carrick McCollough
• Dr. Phil –  Is It Over? A Divorce Solution
• Ellen –  George Clooney, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Kiefer Sutherland and T.I.
• Martha – Tony Mantuano
• Oprah – The Little Girl Found Living Like an Animal
• Rachael Ray – Rach’s 500th Episode
• Regis and Kelly – Rupert Grint, Sugar Ray and Sleep Week
• The View –  Margaret Cho
• Tyra – I’m Gay for Pay

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Malaysian spring rolls were made on the “Today’s Kitchen” on the Today show last week and when I saw the video, I knew I had to watch it.  I normally make my spring rolls with chicken but they combined beef with their veggies.

He also made a dish with braised beef.  The chef combined it with garlic, ginger, black pepper, fresh rosemary and port wine or a little bit of beef stock.  It takes four to five hours in the oven for it to be ready but it looks delicious!

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When Dr. Phil talked to Brittney, she admitted that she had engaged in unprotected sex and Dr. Phil asked her if she got pregnant on purpose.  She said that she hadn’t and had really just made a mistake but Dr. Phil insisted that she did it on purpose.  He asked her about when she told her parents that she was pregnant.  She explained that, upon hearing the news, her parents began yelling and screaming and when they stopped talking to her she went to bed.  At 2am, they came into her room where she was sleeping and began screaming at her again and called her a “spoiled little bitch.”

Dr. Phil talked to the parents and he told them what Brittney had said about them and they admitted that it was pretty much accurate.  He then asked them what they wanted her to do about the pregnancy and they both said that they wanted her to terminate it despite the fact that she was against it.  They described her as being a good girl before all this happened, that she and her mother were like best friends and she was a good student.  Suddenly, they explained, her behavior had changed and she was moody, rude and angry.

During their meeting, Dr. Phil asked Brittney how she planned to take care of herself and a child (since she wanted to keep it) and she said that she didn’t know and was hoping to stay at home until she turned 18.  Dr. Phil mocked her for this comment and said that she only had two options – she’d either give the baby up for adoption or her parents would raise it.

Brittney met with three young women – one who had had an abortion, one who kept her baby and another who had chosen adoption.  She then had to follow the life of a woman who was hoping to adopt a baby so that she could see the process.  He had her meet with adoption agencies too so that she could get familiar with the practices. 

On the follow-up show, Brittney said that she intended to give the baby up for adoption even though she initially wanted to keep it.  At the end of the episode, Dr. Phil confirmed that she had given birth and had, indeed, given the baby to an adoptive couple.

So, now that the facts are all out of the way I would like to share my impressions and I welcome you to voice your opinions in the comments section. 

Dr. Phil first upset me when he insisted that Brittney got pregnant on purpose since she was having unprotected sex.  She said that she just wasn’t thinking.  First of all, not being aware of consequences of their actions is common among adolescents and I’m disappointed that he didn’t take that into consideration.  I was a teen mother myself and I can assure you, almost 16 years later, that I didn’t do it on purpose and I really never believed it could happen to me. 

He really irked me when the parents confirmed that Brittney’s account of how they reacted to the news and he said nothing to them.  Waking her up in the middle of the night by walking into her room, screaming and calling her a bitch is completely unacceptable and borderlines on abusive.  I couldn’t believe he didn’t say anything about that.  Will the parents at home think that these people handled it appropriately since he seemed to be on their side?

The parents, themselves, really upset me.  First they were upset that Brittney had lied to them.  Guess what?  Kids lie to their parents all the time.  It’s disappointing and possibly dangerous but it’s not out of the ordinary – especially when it pertains to sex.  They also said that they were struggling to make ends meet yet they had at least three vehicles and lived in a huge house (and Dr. Phil pointed out that they had to downsize to that palatial home with the marble countertops).  They described Brittney as suddenly being rude, sensitive and angry.  Surprise!  Those are words that basically sum up my three pregnancies as well as those of my friends and family.  Pregnant women are happy one moment, angry the next and then they end it all by crying.  No big mystery there!

The father seemed to completely abandon and reject his daughter and removed himself from even dealing with the situation.  He described it as “her issue.”  Then her mother said that she was looking forward to a little “me time” and that when she goes out in public with her pregnant daughter, she’s embarrassed.  Do you know how scary and hurtful this must have been to Brittney?  Where was the support for this girl?  They withdrew from her when she needed them the most and this was okay?!  A lot of young women manage to keep their babies and live good and healthy lives and it works out best if she has support.

I’m all for options and I think that every woman has to make her own choice and I respect that.  What I don’t respect is how impossible they made one option seem while they pushed adoption on this young girl.

Parents have to support their children and occasionally have to pay for their mistakes.  How they deal with it is up to them.  Brittney was pregnant – she wasn’t on meth, she didn’t drop out of school and she wasn’t drinking and driving.  If she had caused an accident, her parents would have been liable to pay for the damages.  Why were they not liable to help this girl if she kept the baby?

I’m not saying she should have kept her child but I was seriously appalled by how unwilling they were to support her in any decision she made.  It was very disappointing.  What did you think about it?

image: Dr Phil email notification

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• Bonnie Hunt – Kathy Griffin and David Archuleta
• Dr. Phil –  Ask the Bishop
• Ellen –   Lindsay Lohan, Alec Greven and Prince
• Martha – Mario Batali
• Oprah – Inside American Idol, the Queen’s Palace and Valentino’s Empire
• Rachael Ray – Facebook 101
• Regis and Kelly – Hayden Panettiere, 100 Year-Old Tennis Champ and Sleep Week
• The View –  Teri Hatcher
• Tyra – Mom Police

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Some of the issues they address are:

• Are you sleepy/ tired during the day?
• Do you have trouble falling asleep?
• Do you have trouble staying asleep?
• Does your partner complain you’re snoring?
• Do you like to sleep late and then can’t get up in morning?
• Do you need to urinate frequently at night?
• Do you have un-refreshing/restless sleep?

I will be looking forward to some tips on liking to go to sleep and wake up later than most people.  I’ve never been able to change that.  I read on the Regis and Kelly site that it’s not necessary to fix this, which is a relief, so I’m thinking of changing my schedule to suit my natural sleep pattern.

image: Buena Vista Entertainment

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Tyler Florence was on the Today show where he shared his tips for making some delicious barbecued chicken.  He first brined the poultry to make sure the chicken is flavorful all the way through.  He suggests leaving the chicken in the marinade for two hours but said that 15 minutes is still pretty good. 

He mentioned that the chicken really needs to be dry when it gets put on the grill (don’t put your BBQ sauce on right away) to prevent it from burning.  The chicken looked really good.  Check it out!

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• Bonnie Hunt – Blair Underwood and Olivia Newton-John
• Dr. Phil –  A Teen’s Pregnancy: Brittney’s Decison
• Ellen –  Drew Barrymore and Taraji P. Henson
• Martha – Lucinda Scala Quinn
• Oprah – The Octuplet Controversy: Dr. Oz Weighs In
• Rachael Ray – Build a Better Doctor Visit
• Regis and Kelly – Rainn Wilson and Sleep Week
• The View –  Denis Leary and Rob Thomas
• Tyra – Psychic Kids

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