Meryl, again

Remember yesterday when I said that Meryl Rifkin moved to Los Angeles so her son, Aaron, can continue to study and audition for acting roles? And that she's the one who has been getting the acting jobs?

Well, she sent me some photos to show me that Aaron has been going out to do some look-sees that have paid off.

"Aaron's face is on the box of a video sound rocker, being sold at Toys R Us and Costco and online," she wrote. "I walked by a stack of the boxes in Costco last week and was shocked when I happened by it. I stopped strangers to tell them -- crazy mom that I am. I took Aaron and Andy by there later without telling them anything and they were obviously pleasantly surprised. And then I stopped strangers again to show them Aaron and the boxes right next to each other. Here are two photos for you to see. Yes, I bought one -- $100 for a box -- he he he he he! -- but I do have to say the video rocker is an awesome product. It has built-in speakers and bass and sounds fabulous. The chair is comfy too and it made a great extra Hanukkah gift for Aaron. The website is www.pyramat.com that he is on. Click on sound rocker and he should come up. If you see a blond-headed kid, keep clicking around -- he is there."

She said that while she misses Columbus, Los Angeles is "incredible."

The big news right now is her daughter, Randi, is going to have a baby in August.

"I am so psyched to be a grandma," Meryl writes. "Nothing like loving and spoiling a baby and being able to give it back. She and Jordon are ecstatic as you can imagine. I can't believe I am old enough to be a grandma. But, I cannot wait."

She's also been cast in a pilot that will air on HBO in May or June.

"We are supposed to start filming Feb. 16. Girl, it is one of those Hollywood stories where one is at the right place at the right time and being just right. The show will be titled, 'The Don Juan Club,' and will involve a lot of drama concerning the high fashion modeling industry; gambling, loan sharks, mafia; also a situation with an injured Army veteran who served in Iraq, etc. It will have a lot of appeal to both men and women. I am playing the ex-wife of a mafia boss. If it is picked up as a series and chances are really good it will be, my character will become a major role in the story. There is more I could tell you too, but I am so afraid of saying too much as of yet. I will keep you informed. Right now, I am in a position where my childhood dreams could very well come true."

You don't know how happy this news makes me. Meryl went through a lot when her husband died in a car accident. I think it was her children that kept her sane through those dark days. And then when Andy became more than a friend, she began laughing again.

Good for you, Meryl. It's looking like 2009 may be the year for you and your family!

What Meryl Rifkin's been doing

I just got an e-mail for Meryl Rifkin, who moved out to Hollywood at the request of her teen-aged son, Aaron. Aaron wants to be an actor, and Meryl thought it would be the best thing for both of them to move. They've been out there about a year-and-a-half.

Her companion, Andy Smith, moved out there this fall.

It's funny. She moved out there for Aaron, but she's the one who has been working! She and Andy did an episode for "The Doctors," the syndicated show that features real doctors talking about specific ailments.

Now, she writes:

"Here is a list of times of something I did a couple of months ago. I played a hermit mom in bed who gets attacked by her drunk hermit son. It was stupid, but, hey I got paid and I will be on TV. No lines, just action. The production company just alerted me to its airing starting Wednesday night. It will be on the History Channel.

"'Seven Deadly Sins - Gluttony Seven Deadly Sins Episode: Gluttony,' Wednesday at 9 p.m.; 1 a.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. and midnight Friday.

"Also, watch for the Discovery Channel, "Bitten" at the end of January and beginning of February (episodes 5 & 6) -- I was involved in re-enactments of two different people getting bit by tigers."

OK, so she's not making any big movies with big stars, but it's a start, right?

Keep it up, Meryl!

We've joined the digital television age

As an early 80th birthday present to my mother, my brother Fred bought her a 42-inch high def television.

My sister Patty and her husband, John, delivered it and set it up for us.

I think Fred needs to come over to adjust a few things. The color is a little too intense. And we need to hook up the old VCR and DVD machines.

Because we have cable, we didn't have to worry about not having a picture when the whole United States switch over to digital television. But the current TV is 10 years old now, and probably won't last much longer.

Fred's taking it home to put in his barn so he can watch TV while he's working out there in the shop.

I swear, he's a great brother. I'm so glad he and Cheryl decided to come home when he retired. Though right now, my friend Bill Rich has put him to work. He's been working 10 hours a day, six days a week. He has to be at work at 7 a.m.!

Merry Christmas!

You know, every year, I swear I will not be out running around on Christmas Eve, buying last minute gifts. But, as usual, I was out Wednesday afternoon, running around like a crazed woman.

Today, my sister Dorothy was cooking all day. She had a prime rib roast and a bar cookie in the oven (not at the same time), cooking two kinds of greens (one with meat and one without for Scott, the vegetarian and Jessica, the vegan in the family) and gravy to go with the beef.

Cheryl was heating up the Honey-Baked Ham that I bought along with green beans and mashed potatoes. My sister Nancy made her famous deviled eggs. My youngest sister Patty made tiramisu and her husband, John, made roast turkey.

Obviously, we had more than enough to eat.

Unlike Thanksgiving, when we had about 40 people over for dinner, it was just our family and Cheryl's youngest brother, Burt and his family. It was a very nice evening.

Instead of buying gifts for everyone, last year we started a new thing. We each buy two $25 gift certificates. We throw them in a basket. And then we draw two. And if we get one we don't like or won't use, we trade them.

Like my mother got a gift card for Amazon.com She didn't want to mess with that, so she swapped with Scott. So he got a gift certificate for Amazon.com and she got a gift card to Wal-mart. Fred got one for Publix and Jess got one for Home Depot. Being a vegan, of course, Jessica was anxious to trade with her father! I don't think anyone else swapped. Everyone was happy.

If I can get a photo from this evening, I'll post it. The batteries in my camera ran down, so I didn't get a picture. I'll have one of my sisters send me one.

I'm really thankful to be surrounded by people I love and all that we have.

A death in the family

Aunt Keiko, my mother and Uncle Hide, the surviving Araya siblings. I don't have a recent photo of my uncle who died Monday.

This morning, actually, it was early Tuesday morning, the phone rang. We have caller ID and it was an unknown number, so we let it ring. My mother checked the answering machine and it turned out that it was my Aunt Keiko, my mother's sister.

I dialed the number and handed the phone to my mother.

She was calling to let us know that our uncle, my mother's oldest brother, had died.

When we were in Japan, we didn't visit him in the Araya family home in Odate because he was sick and in the hospital. We learned later that he was pissed because we did not visit.

Oops. But really, he was in the hospital and my mother didn't feel that we should all troop in and visit. In hindsight, perhaps we should have visited.

Aunt Keiko said she wasn't up for the trip to Akita, the prefecture (or state) where he lived. So her son, Kenichi is going. My Aunt Mizue is hampered by a bad back and she can't really take a long train trip up north. So her daughter, Hiromi, is going. And my Aunt Teruko, who lives in Kobe, is frail. Her son, Hiroki, is going.

Of course, my mother can't go, and neither can any of us.

We'll be there in spirit. The funeral is Friday.

I knew him, of course, but I saw him when I was very young. I saw him again in 1992, which was my first visit to Japan in 22 years.

I remember sitting in his living room with his wife and daughter, my mother, Aunt Keiko, my mother's friend from Los Angeles, Mrs. Okada and my cousin, Kotoe.

I was showing him pictures of us in America, including photos of my father.

I knew that he had never approved of my mother marrying my father. And that my father took her away to America. He also never forgot that he was asked for his blessing. He was the oldest male and the head of the family.

But as we passed pictures around, he turned to me and said, "I'm sorry I never met your father. He seemed like he was a good man." Of course, he said that in Japanese, and he meant to say it to my mother, but he told me. I glanced at my mother and she was tearing up.

That broke the ice.

A few years later, he came to Columbus to visit us. I think he really had a great time.

I'm sorry I didn't get to see him one more time.

I guess what I'm trying to say is take every opportunity to see the people you love because you never know when that person will no longer be there.

The arts year in review

For the past few days, I've been working on the arts year-in-review story that will run on Dec. 26.

Perhaps the biggest story was the arrival of 67 Steinway pianos to the Columbus State University Schwob School of Music. A gift of Maxine Schiffman, it was truly an astounding sight to see all those pianos on the Bill Heard Theatre stage.

Another significant event was the transfer of the Singer-Moye Indian Mounds from the Columbus Museum, who has been caring for the sight for more than 40 years, to the University of Georgia, who will use it as a working lab for archaeology students.

Another was Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, who created the "Tuna" series, allowing the Springer Opera House to be the only theater to tour "Greater Tuna" and "A Tuna Christmas." In the past, only Williams and Sears toured the shows. And the Springer will be the first theater to present the third "Tuna" show, "Red, White and Tuna," in the spring.

And, of course, one of the biggest concerns for all the arts organizations in town is the economy.

Already, the Springer's Paul Pierce said many of the donors are cutting back the amount they're giving this year. Fortunately, attendance is up, but ticket proceeds do not begin to pay for the upkeep of the 137-year-old building.

That's the story for all the other arts organizations as well.

The Liberty Theatre is trying its best to keep the theater open. Managing director Gayle Daniels said while attendance is up, it could be better. So she's collaborating with the Columbus Jazz Society and the Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co. to do more shows there.

Maybe it's time the arts organizations work together and do more collaborating like Gayle's doing. After all, they are all going for the same donors and patrons.

Let me know what you thought the most significant arts event was this year. It'll be interesting to see what you think.

Newsroom Christmas party

Our newsroom Christmas party was last night and a good time was had by all. Two of our editors, Dimon Kendrick-Holmes and Mike Owen, cooked all the meat and it was very tasty.

Our hostest with the mostest, Dawn Minty, and her husband, Jeff Hendrickson, did everything else. I'm sure other people helped, but I can't tell you who they were. Jerry Morehouse and his wife, made wonderful cookies. I call her Dee, but I know that's not her name. I'm sorry!

Here are some pictures of my newsroom colleagues. OK, so the first two pictures are not my colleagues. They are Dawn and Jeff's babies.



Alley looked so cute in her Christmas faux fur cape. But she was very unhappy. After a little while, I took pity on her and took it off. She was very happy. I think I have a friend for life.











Sassy getting dressed in her holiday finery.















Bess Kendrick-Holmes (in the red sweater), was talking to Allison (in white), Allison's mother, Charlotte, and Dawn (in the awesome dress).











Andrea (from left), Sara, Stephanie, Lily and Sonya. Stephanie is a WLTZ-TV 38 reporter.

Really nice ticket packages for the King Tut exhibit

This is one of four bejeweled coffinettes that held mummified organs of King Tut.

If you're like me, you're watching every penny you spend these days.

You want to see the King Tut exhibit in Atlanta, but when you add up the gas to drive to Atlanta and the ticket price, it's probably a little expensive, especially if you've some kids who really want to see the exhibit, too. You'll also have to add the price of a meal while you're up there.

If you're looking for a way to save some money, there are three ticket packages that are now available.

The Last-Minute Holiday Gift Package is $50 and includes two VIP tickets, which are good for any day and any time during regular hours, two audio tours, narrated by Harrison Ford and a National Geographic DVD of your choice from the gift shop. The package is available through Dec. 24.

The Discounted Family Days is $46 for a family of four for any day of the week through mid-January.

Two-for-One Adult Tickets are available through the holidays until Jan. 15.

The hours of the exhibit, at the Atlanta Civic Center, 395 Piedmont Ave. N.E., are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, with the last ticket sold at 5 p.m. (except 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Christmas Eve, with the last ticket sold at 2:30 p.m.). It's closed Christmas Day.

Regular tickets are $16.50-$32.50.

For information, call 404-727-4282 or go to www.kingtut.org

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at area Publix grocery stores or the Columbus Civic Center. If you buy tickets in person at a Ticketmaster location, it's cash only. To charge tickets, call 706-494-8330 or go to www.ticketmaster.com

Whoops!

I had to laugh when I got a e-mail from Pat Bonaker. Pat is in Cantus Columbus.

Here's her e-mail:

"I very much enjoyed reading your article about Cantus Columbus just a few minutes ago. However - I wonder what my son David will think about being my brother, instead of my son! Perhaps you may be thinking of Paula, his sister! I am the Mother of the Bonaker Bunch - Mike, Paula, David and Matt. I am a retired choral director in MCSD, having taught at Shaw for 18 years before retiring in 1999. Just wanted to tell you I had a little laugh this morning!"

Yikes! I truly was thinking about Paula.

So, I'm very, very sorry.

I won't make that mistake again!

Thanks, Pat!

Cirque Dreams

The first six seasons that the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts was open, the man in charge of booking the Broadway in Columbus series was Adam Epstein, the president of the Theater Council of America.

I met Adam early on and he's a charming man who knows a lot about booking shows. He also knows a lot about shows, period.

For the first time, he added producer to his name.

He was a producer of "Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy," which played on Broadway for 10 weeks in the theater after "The Color Purple" closed. It was a wildly popular show.

Now it's on tour and instead of booking into the RiverCenter's Bill Heard Theatre, he's got it in the Columbus Civic Center. It can be seen at 7 p.m. April 19. Tickets are $35-$60.

The Civic Center box office is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can buy tickets at area Publix grocery stores. Call Ticketmaster to charge your tickets at 706-494-8330 or go to www.ticketmaster.com

Neil Goldberg created the show and he brought an abbreviated show to celebrate the Columbus Museum's 50th anniversary. But that was a private party. I was there and the show was great in 2003. I'm sure it's fantastic now.

My mother has already said she wants to go, so I'm sure I'll be going to see it in April.

Volunteers

I was invited to the annual Christmas dinner for the volunteers at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts tonight.

I know that there are a lot of volunteers because at every event I've been to, they are everywhere.

I didn't realize that there are almost 300 volunteers.

I was a little late getting there and I saw Darlene Kittrell, who is the marketing director. We talked for a bit and then we walked to the Bill Heard Theatre stage where the tables were set up. I walked around the corner and said, "Holy crap!"

I couldn't believe the number of people sitting on that stage.

I sat with some very nice people. I only remember Alice Spengler. But there was another nice couple.

Dinner was very nice, catered by the Rankin.

Door prizes were given out, and some people were honored for their service, including two women who have worked more than 1,000 hours. Jeanne Fessenden (new DA Julia Slater's mother) and Nancy Skaife. If you saw either of these women, you'll recognize them. Especially Nancy, who always wears her signature over-sized glasses.

Jeanette Cauthen, Chuck Fessenden (Jeanne's husband and Julia's father), Doug McLeod and Mary Noles have served more than 750 hours.

You know, when I retire, I'm going to become a RiverCenter volunteer and a docent at the Columbus Museum and Springer Opera House.

Maybe one day, I'll get a pin for serving 1,000 hours somewhere.

Wait. I bet I've served at least 100 hours giving tours at the Springer already. And I'm not even a docent. I wonder if those hours will count.

Create a video for Usher

Teenagers who are aged 13-18 have a chance to make a video for Usher.

So if you're an aspiring filmmaker or know one, then go to Got-Noise.com and fill out an application before Jan. 31.

What happens is 20 teenagers will go to Los Angeles and be split into two teams. Each team will work with Usher to conceptualize and figure out the direction for the music video for a song on his new CD, which will be released early next year.

Both videos will be shown in April and fans will vote for their favorite.

The contest is sponsored by Body by Milk.

For more information, go to Got-Noise.com

And good luck!

Wanna be an actor? Ask Chris Elwood

Back in 1990, I made my debut on the Springer Opera House stage and one of the young cowboys was Chris Elwood. He was 15 and making his debut as well. I got to know his family well.

I got an e-mail from Chris, who said he was coming home to visit family and will conduct a "How-to-Hollywood" seminar.

Chris, who was born and reared in Columbus, graduated from Pacelli High School, in 1993. I think. Somewhere around there.

He moved out to Hollywood a little after that, and got a few roles on TV like "Sliders" and more recently in MTV's "Punk'd" and Bravo's "Flipping Out." Chris was also in a teen comedy called "How High," which featured a couple of rappers.

Earlier this year, on "Flipping Out," his personal life was revealed to everyone. He was married to Jenni Pulos, the No. 1 assistant to Realtor Jeff Lewis. He flips houses in Los Angeles. Not any house, but the million-dollar homes. Chris went to work for Lewis, too. He started out as the guy who took out the trash when the houses were being renovated. Then he was promoted to a position that was kind of like house boy.

Anyway, he was caught using Lewis' computer via a "nanny-cam," and when confronted about it, he lied. So Lewis, who is a self-professed member of the OCD club, fired him.

Chris and Jenni must have been having problems before all this happened because for her, it sounded like the final straw. It didn't seem worth arguing over, much less divorcing. But then again, I've never been married.

He e-mailed me after the show and asked if I wanted to do a story about his side of the story. Because to be fair, everyone was against him. I left a message on his cell phone, but we never connected.

But he's going to be in town and the seminar is going to be at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday at My Gym, 2501 Old Whittlesey Road. His younger sister, Heather, owns My Gym, and is opening up one of the rooms for him.

The seminar is just $25, and he'll tell those of you who plan to leave Columbus for the bright lights of Hollywood the pitfalls you'll face.

He says it will be good for aspiring actors, writers, directors and anyone who wants a career in the movie business.

Chris will also conduct personal interviews with anyone who wants to speak one-on-one with him.

If you want to register, e-mail Chris at howtohollywood@gmail.com

It should be very informative and it lasts an hour.

Champagne and sparkling wine tasting

I'm not much of a drinker, but a few years ago, I discovered Moscato di Asti.

My mother watches this Japanese cooking show that either my aunt or one of my cousins sends to us on videotape. Over and over again, the cooks talk about dessert wines.And she would repeatedly ask me about dessert wines. Like I know wines.

So I was in Whole Foods in Atlanta and I asked the guy in the wine department where the dessert wines were. He pointed me to a huge section. I must have looked bewildered because he started asking questions and then he came up with a bottle and told me to try it. It was a Moscato di Asti.

I bought it.

I got home one evening and my mother and her friend had opened the bottle and they were drinking. Both of them told me how much they liked it. Two little old Japanese women sitting around drinking a sweet, sparkling wine. How cute is that?

Since then, I've bought several other bottles, but my mother said none were as good as the one I bought at Whole Foods. Of course, neither one of us wrote down the name of the wine.

Meritage Cafe, 1350 13th St., will hold a champagne and sparkling wine tasting at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Reservations are required because there will be seating for 36 people only.

Maybe that wine will be one of the ones served.

The tasting menu may include "small plates" or appetizers of truffled popcorn, Parmesan chips with goat cheese mousse, salmon and tuna tartare on cucumber with wasabi tobiko, braised fennel with fresh figs, proscuitto-wrapped pear, deviled quail eggs topped with caviar on toast and mushroom pate. Each wine will be offered with a paired small plate or appetizer. Sound yummy?

The tasting costs $49, plus tax and gratuity.

Call 706-327-0707.

Hello Kitty

I spent two hours as Hello Kitty this afternoon.

If it were July, I would have refused. But since it was a chilly December day, why not?

Years and years ago, I dressed up as a character at Six Flags Over Georgia. I thought it would be a good story. It was, of course, in the summer because Six Flags is open in the summer.

It was when the Weebles were popular. I was the rabbit Weeble.

The costume was excruciatingly hot. The headpiece was huge. The feet were even bigger.

A Six Flags employee led me around because you really can't see with that headpiece on. It didn't matter that I had an escort. Kids, teenagers mostly, would pull my tail and knock on the head.

Did I mention it was hot?

By the time I finished my 20-minute stint, I had sweated at least 10 pounds away and had a horrible headache.

Today it was different. But the same.

The costume was not very hot. The headpiece was huge. And it was hot. I was not hot. Just my head.

After two hours, I had a headache.

But I had a fabulous time. Kids and adults both love Hello Kitty.

Two of the mothers said their girls loved meeting Hello Kitty more than meeting Santa Claus.

One little kept hugging me around my waist. She said she just turned six and she had a Hello Kitty birthday party. She kept saying she loved Hello Kitty.

Only two little children were scared.

There was a group of older teenagers who took pictures of each other on their cell phones. In fact, more than half of the parents took pictures with their cell phones.

There was on woman who stopped her car in the middle of the street, hopped out and had her picture taken with Hello Kitty. A police officer told her to move her car. She didn't have a camera, but the woman who was taking pictures of her daughters, took it. She said she'd e-mail it. The woman who was getting back in her car, yelled out her e-mail address.

I wonder if she'll get it.

I even walked over to where Santa Claus was and had my picture taken.

As soon as Gladys Griffin, who owns the Main Street Toy Shoppe scans it and e-mails it to me, I'll post the photo.

It was great fun.

Gladys said she'll have Hello Kitty back next year. She's a smart woman. She said she'll have Hello Kitty back around this time. She knows she'll never get anyone in a costume in the summer!

Skype.com

Tonight, we spoke to my cousins, Kotoe (sitting, left) and Hiromi (sitting, second from left), who are sisters, and their mother, sitting (far right), along with Miho (standing, left). Hiromi is Miho's mother. Yuichi was at home with a cold. Yoko (in glasses), lives in another part of Tokyo and wasn't at Aunt Mizue's house. I took this picture on the last night we were in Japan.

A few years ago, when I was buying my cell phone, Brian, who sold me the phone, was telling me about Skype.com, where I could set up an account and then talk to anyone in the world who was also had an account.

When we got back from Japan, my cousin, Yuichi, talked me through it and all of sudden, we could all see each other and talk to each other.

It's amazing. One of my colleague's husband is deployed in Afghanistan, and they talk to each other regularly via Skype.

I had tried calling two of my cousins and every time, they've been off-line.

Last weekend, I called my cousin Kotoe, and I got the message that she was off-line. A few minutes later, the "phone" rang and it was Kotoe and her mother. I got my mother and we had a nice chat.

We made plans to speak again tonight and that's what we did. We set a date to all talk the day after Christmas, which will be Dec. 26 here and Dec. 27 there. Right now, they're 14 hours ahead of us.

So it's 10:30 p.m. here. It's 12:30 p.m. in Tokyo.

We'll all be talking then. They're excited.

Technology is such a cool thing, isn't it?

I sure wish we had something like this when Daddy was in Vietnam all those years ago. All we had then were letters from him, we treasured.

I know my nephew is hooked up with Skype, but did he ever call me when he was in Iceland or England? Noooo.

But now he's in Valdosta. Does he ever call? Or even respond to e-mail? Nooo.

Then again, neither does his sister, Jessica.

Oh, well. I guess they have better things to do than talk to their aunt.

I'm going to be Hello Kitty!

Come on! How cute is she?


I had to work the Friday after Thanksgiving on a shopping story. While my colleagues went out to the big chain stores, I hit the locally-owned stores.

Gladys Griffin, who owns the Main Street Toy Shoppe, told me she was going to get the costumed character of Hello Kitty back in her store. She had Kitty there when the Christmas lights were turned on right before Thanksgiving.

Even thought the toy store is no longer in Main Street Village, she kept the name when she moved to the Landings on Airport Thruway.

We started talking about the costumed character and she mentioned that she wasn't sure she could get the teenager who did it before to come back.

I told her I'd do it.

Well, she called me the other day and said the girl couldn't do it and was I serious.

Was I serious? Are you kidding me?

I love Hello Kitty.

In fact, I love Hello Kitty so much that my mother is always asking me how old I am. She thinks it's unseemly that a 56-year-old woman wears Hello Kitty panties and pajamas, carry handbags and wear a Hello Kitty lanyard at work. I have little Hello Kitty things everywhere.

Come see Hello Kitty at the toy store Saturday between 3-5 p.m.

I won't be able to talk to you, but it will be me in the costume!

Atlanta exhibits worth seeing

Former President Jimmy Carter toured the exhibit with High Museum director Michael Shapiro and Hiromi Kinoshita, the consulting curator for "The First Emperor" exhibition.

I like going to Atlanta, but I hate driving to Atlanta.

Fortunately, the past few years, one of my sisters has always driven there. We usually go grocery shopping at one of the Japanese stores.

And, of course, we go to eat. Almost always in a Japanese restaurant.

I do go to some shows at the Fox Theatre with my friend Bill Rich. And I make him drive.

Some of the 15 Terracotta Warriors, the emperor's retinue and even a horse is in "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army" at the High Museum of Art.

Right now, the High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., has an extraordinary exhibit, "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army." Besides that, it still has the final year of the Louvre's loaned masterpieces.

The High has nine terracotta warriors, including a general, from the Museum of the Terracotta Army and the Cultural Relics Bureau of Shaanxi Province in Xi’an, China.

The site at Xi’an is one of the places I really, really want to see.

And I can’t wait to see it. I know it’s not China, but since I blew my whole budget for the next couple of years going to Japan last summer, this will be closest I get to Xi’an.

Besides the general (only one of seven unearthed so far), the foot soldiers and archers, there are acrobats, musicians, a court official, a stable boy, a strongman and a chariot horse. There are even some bronze birds.

It’s speculated that the birds were trained to dance while the musicians played.

There are lots of photographs and artifacts from the archaeological digging as well.

Besides this exhibit, you can see the last exhibit from the Louvre, “Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Masterpiece,” through Sept. 4. Johannes Vermeer’s “The Astronomer” will leave Feb. 15 and will be replaced by Georges de la Tour’s “The Card-Sharp (with Ace of Diamonds)” on Feb. 17.

The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $11-$18.

Call 404-733-4444 or go to www.high.org

Now it’s going to be incredibly crowded. In fact, the museum has sold more than 100,000 tickets already. The best times to go are weekday afternoons because most school groups come in the morning, said Cassandra Champion Streich, the High’s senior manager of public relations.

Ther is another blockbuster exhibit, “Tutankhamuh: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,” in the Atlanta Civic Center, 395 Piedmont Ave. N.E., and is presented by the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University through May 25.

This is one of four of King Tut's "coffinette," an ornately decorated canopic vessel that held his internal organs.

More than 150 artifacts can be seen in this exhibit from 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, including the largest image of King Tut ever found. This 10-foot-tall statue may have been placed at his mortuary temple and it retains much of its original paint.

The Tut exhibit is open 9 a.m.–7 p.m. daily, with the last ticket sold at 5 p.m., except 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Christmas Eve, with the last ticket sold at 2:30 p.m.; closed Christmas day.



This is a funerary mask of King Tut.

Call 404-727-4282 or go to www.kingtut.org

If you're on a budget, but want to see both exhibits, there is a way to do that.

You can go to both the King Tut and Terracotta Warriors exhibits for one price.

Through the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, you can buy a ticket for $39 for Tuesday-Thursday or $41 for Friday-Sunday. You must choose the day and time slot. Tickets for youths are $25.

There’s another attractive ticket package: $29.99-$39.99 for the King Tut exhibit and the Georgia Aquarium. When you buy your ticket, you must choose the day and the time slot you want to be at the Atlanta Civic Center.

You can spend one day at one of the attractions and then go back within 30 days to see the other.

Believe it or not, I have yet to see the Georgia Aquarium. So maybe this will be my incentive to see the Tut exhibit and the fish!

Snow bunnies have a new place to show off

A mother and daughter are having fun with show on one of the tubing runs at Snow Mountain.


I have to admit that I've never gone skiing or snowboarding. I've tried ice skating once and was a miserable failure.

My friends laughed when I screamed, "It's wet!"

They said, "What did you expect? It's ice!"

Atlanta's Stone Mountain Park has a new attraction called Snow Mountain. I just got an invitation to a media opening. It really sounds like fun.

It opens to the public on Dec. 31 and features 11 tubing runs and a 30,000-square-foot play area for younger snow bunnies.

So there's really no skiing. Just tubing. I can do that. Well, as long as I'm with someone who won't think it's fun to turn the tube upside down.

A snow-maker can make up to 200 tons of fresh snow daily. So it won't really be "snowing." But it's Atlanta.

Besides the tubing runs and play area, there is the SnoDeck where you can rest and get a hot drink or food; the SnoFire Point, which features a bonfire on Memorial Lawn and the HotSpot, where you can get hot cider or coffee. Since it's a state park, I don't think there will be alcohol sold.

I went online and it's recommended that you wear water-resistant clothing, gloves and boots. You should layer your clothing and take dry clothes that you can put in a rented locker.

Also, check the weather by calling 800-317-2006.

Tickets are $25; parking is $8.

Snow Mountain is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Dec. 31, Jan. 11, Jan. 19, Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8, Feb. 16, Feb. 22 and March 1; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Jan. 1-4, Jan. 10, Jan. 17-18, Jan. 24, Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 14-15, Feb. 21 and Feb. 28; 4-10:30 p.m. Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20 and Feb. 27.

Stone Mountain Park is 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta. Take I-285 to exit 39B, Highway 78 East, park is at exit 8 on Highway 78.

Call 770-498-5690, 800-317-2006 or www.stonemountainpark.com

On the bypass

This morning, on the way to work, I noticed four Columbus Police Department officers on motorcycles at the bottom of the ramp going on the Lindsay Creek Bypass.

A few yards up, there were three more motor cops who had stopped motorists.

I'm glad because there are some out-of-control speeders on that part of the Bypass.

However, there is no reason to go 35 miles an hour just because there are seven police officers who are obviously looking for speeders.

I got behind some people actually going that slowly.

How dumb can you be? As long as you're doing 55, you're OK!

That's my pet peeve for the day.

Santa pictures with your pets

Want to have your pet's picture taken with Santa Claus?

I found a bargain for you.

The Second Avenue Animal Hospital, 4025 Second Ave., is holding two holiday picture sessions with Santa Claus and your pets. The sessions are 10 a.m.-noon Saturday and noon-2 p.m. Dec. 13.

Bring your pet and five cans of food or buy a holiday gift item and the photos are free. Each additional print is $2.

Your pets will get a treat.

All proceeds, including the canned goods will go to the Valley Rescue Mission.

See? It's a deal. I think I'll take my babies.

Call 706-507-7297.

Valley, Ala.'s Christmas Merry-Go-Round

I have known Linda Fulcher for many, many years. When I was the TV Book editor, I got to know all of the cable TV operators in our circulation area as well as all the TV folks from on-air personalities to executives.

Since I quit doing the TV thing, I still see some of the people I used to talk to once a week.

Linda's one of those folks. Actually, when I first met her, she was working at West Point Pepperell. It was later that she started working for the cable company in Valley, Ala.

When the Columbus Cottonmouths came to town, Linda was always there whenever I was.

The past few years, she's called me around this time of year, asking me to come visit her in Valley so I could ride the Christmas Merry-Go-Round at the Valley Sportsplex Complex.

There will be a special opening for the Merry-Go-Round from noon-5 p.m. Saturday. Tommy Johns' "Arctic Express — A Magical Train Tour of Winter Festivals of the World" will entertain with magic, puppets, music, balloon tying and storytelling. And, no, it's not the pitcher. This Tommy Johns (there's an "s" at the end of John), a local magician.

Kids and try to catch a trout with Lawton's Trout Farm. You can visit Santa Claus in Santa's House. There will be 20 food and artists booths.

There's no admission Saturday.

I guess I need to visit Valley this month.

The Christmas Merry-Go-Round hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 23. Christmas Eve hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

To get to the Sportsplex Complex, take U.S. 280 from Columbus to I-85 North to Valley. Take Exit 77 at the Ford car dealership. Take a right onto Fob James Drive. Take a right at the first traffic light onto Fairfax Bypass. The first right is Sportsplex Drive. Taken Sportsplex Drive to the end and find a parking space. The Merry-Go-Round is on the right ball field.

The best part of the Christmas Merry-Go-Round? It's free!

Call the Valley Community Center at 334-756-5290.

There's also a musical, "The Cotton Mill Christmas," at 7 p.m. Saturday by the First Community Theatre in the Langdale Theatre. It's about the holiday traditions that make Valley what it is.

To get to the Langdale Theatre, take U.S. 280 to I-85. Go north and taken Exit 77 and turn right. Go 2.5 miles to the second traffic light in front of the Valley First Baptist Church. Turn right. The theater is about 300 yards on the right, adjacent to LaFayette Lanier Elementary School.

Tickets are $5-$8, and will be available at the door.

Call 334-756-5228 or 334-756-5232.

Britney Spears

I'm not a big fan of Britney Spears, but I know there is a huge audience for her. I don't think she can sing. But then I don't think Madonna can either.

For the first time in five years, Spears will be on tour. She brings her "Circus" act to Atlanta's Philips Arena at 8 p.m. March 5. Opening the show is the Pussycat Dolls.

Tickets are $39.50-$549. They go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday.

Yikes! $549 to see Britney Spears? I don't think so. That price, though is the VIP package. What's in the package? Don't care.

But if you're dying to see the "Circus Tour," you can go to any Ticketmaster location, which includes the Columbus Civic Center box office or area Publix grocery store. Or go to www.ticketmaster.com or call 800-745-3000 to charge your ticket.

Billy Joel and Elton John

Back in 1994, I got to see a great concert featuring Elton John and Billy Joel together for the first time.

Now, John and Joel, the most successful and longest-running concert pairing in pop history, will reunite for their Face 2 Face tour and will perform in Atlanta's Philips Arena at 7:30 p.m. March 14.

The format for the concert will be the same. They perform a few songs together, playing dual pianos. Then each do a solo set. They end the concert together with both bands.

It's incredible. And I'm not particularly a fan of either. But I did like the show a lot.

The press release had two quotes from the musicians:

“I love touring with Billy. I have the greatest respect for him and we’re such good friends,” John said.

"The great thing about performing with Elton is that he is such a good piano player and that makes me have to dig deep to keep up with him, not to mention I've got the best seat in the house — only one piano away from Elton John!” said Joel.

John and Joel played the first date of their co-headlining Face 2 Face tour on July 8, 1994 in Philadelphia. That Veterans Stadium concert began a run of 21 sold-out performances in 13 cities and established a winning formula for all future Face 2 Face concerts. They last toured together in 2003.

Tickets are $55, $101 and $181, and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. We had really good seats in the Georgia Dome and I can promise you we didn't pay $181. Inflation, I guess.

If you can afford it, it's really worth the price of the ticket.

Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations, which includes Publix grocery stores in the Columbus area, or by going to www.ticketmaster.com To charge by phone, call 404-249-6400.

Georgia Historical Society gives award Thursday

Congratulations to Mike Bunn, the associate curator of history, at the Columbus Museum and Virginia Causey, a Columbus State University history professor. The Georgia Historical Society will give its top history award to Mike and Virginia for their work in promoting Columbus history.

Mike because of his work at the museum and Virginia for her series on Columbus.

It couldn't happen to two nicer people.

Thanksgiving weekend

Here's Fred carving up the pig.

Wow! I must have gained 10 pounds this weekend. I swear all I did was eat.

My brother got in around 2:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day after being in South Florida for a former colleague's funeral Tuesday and Wednesday.

He slept a few hours and then put the pig on to roast. Oh, yeah. He bought a 70-plus pound pig to roast. Has he ever done that before? Nope. But now he knows how to do it.

Besides all the pork, we had two fried turkeys and a smoked turkey. We had a ham and a pork roast. I lost count of all the sides and desserts we had.

There was a lot of food, but there were at least 40 of us.

There was one injury. Little Emily Wilder, one of Cheryl's great-nieces, fell in the living room and hit her head Wednesday night. Thursday, she woke up vomiting. Of course, the first thought is a concussion, so her parents, John and Heather, took her to the emergency room. They got back to Fred and Cheryl's house late in the afternoon. Emily had a little butterfly bandage on her head and was subdued. It turned out she had a stomach virus, which explained the vomiting.

Friday morning, very early Friday morning, some of us headed out to the the Black Friday sales. My mother asked if I was going. I told her I had to work. And I did. I interviewed a bunch of people who were out shopping.

For dinner Friday night, Dorothy and I went back out to Fred and Cheryl's, while my mother decided to stay home.

We ate even more.

We repeated that Saturday night. I noticed that there was definitely a dent in the amount of meat that was left over.

This morning, as Dorothy was getting ready to go home to Charleston, we got a call from Fred. It turned out that he, Cheryl and Jessica all caught whatever Emily had. You know, that stomach bug. He wanted Dorothy to get some Pepto-Bismol and Immodium.

Dorothy, our mother and I had limited interaction with Emily, so we're fine.

Jess had to work today in Gainesville, where she's at the University of Florida, at 1 p.m., but had to call in sick. She felt well enough to let Scott drive her to Valdosta, where he's stationed. He has to be at work at midnight. (Fred picked him up on his way home from Hollywood.)

I'm not sure if she's spending the night with him or if she drove the 90 minutes or so back home.

I guess when you've got that many people, someone is going to get hurt and someone is going to get sick. It turned out that one little girl got hurt and sick!

We really did have a great time.

CSU Alumni Open House

One day, I'd like Ray Lakes to call me just to say hello. When he calls, he needs publicity for one thing or another.

Now, I love talking to him, but come on, Ray!

I've known Ray longer than I'd like to admit. I was a freshman at Columbus College and he was an older student. That's right, I always joke that he's way older than me. In actuality, he's probably only a year or so older. But I call him the old guy.

He's now the director of alumni affairs at Columbus State University. My have we grown up.

This time when he called, Ray wanted me to do something about the CSU Alumni Open House.

I know that there are thousands of CSU graduates in this area.

So some of you should come to the open house at 5-8 p.m. Tuesday in the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, 701 Front Ave.

You'll get to see some people you know and you'll get to meet the new president, Tim Mescon. I think you'll like him.

And of course, you'll see Ray. You may even see me wandering around.

Tickets are $10, and you'll need to make a reservation.

Call 706-565-4100.

OK, Ray. I've done what you asked. You owe me lunch.

Life is short

My brother headed for South Florida today. When he lived in Cooper City, he was a sergeant in the Hollywood Police Department.

One of the officers under him was killed in a car accident over the weekend while he was on duty.

He was just 31.

Fred must have liked him because he wouldn't just drop everything to go back to Hollywood. The visitation was tonight and the funeral is in the morning. He'll come back right after the service.

Hollywood is about the same size, population wise, as Columbus. Geographically, it's much smaller. But being so close to Miami and the drug trade, I think it's a lot more dangerous for police officers. He worked in vice and that worried my father, especially when Scott was born. But Fred loved his work. When he retired two years ago when he was 48, I wasn't sure if he'd adjust to retirement. But he loves being retired now.

He does work for my friend Bill Rich, building things. He's been working at the new National Infantry Museum.

I went online to read the stories and when I found a video, I watched it. To my surprise, there's a new police chief. When Fred was promoted to sergeant five years ago, Chadwick Wagner was promoted to assistant chief at the same ceremony.

When I called Fred's cell, my niece answered it. He had stopped in Gainesville to have lunch with her before continuing south.

On his way home, he's picking up Scott in Valdosta, where he's stationed at Moody Air Base.

Now as Thanksgiving draws near, I'm really thankful that Fred was unscathed in his years as an officer in a highly dangerous job. And I'm thankful that Scott hasn't been deployed. He's been in Iceland, England and Valdosta so far.

Dancing with the Stars Finale

The judges scores:
Warren Sapp, 80; Lance Bass, 81; Brooke Burke, 88.

Tonight, the very talented Alicia Keys sang before the final dances by the three couples. After the dances, the not-so-talented but inexplicably popular Miley Cyrus performed.

I really miss Kenny Mayne, who was the very first person booted off the very first show. He's been kind of a sarcastic correspondent in subsequent seasons. I agree with him when he said he was robbed.

OK, so Burke won. I think there should be a recount.

When the season began, I really thought it was a ho-hum season. And I thought Toni Braxton would win.

What do I know?

Dancing with the Stars finals

OK, it's coming to an end. As expected, Brooke Burke, a favorite of the judges, rated well tonight. I just don't get it.

Lance Bass is doing very, very well. He started slowly, but the last few weeks, he's been really, really good.

But my favorite is still Warren Sapp. I just love to watch him dance.

Of course, I voted for him. I'm hoping everyone else did, too.

I had to work yesterday, so I missed the final show of "A Love Supreme." I'm hoping Troy videotaped it so I can see it.

"A Love Supreme"

When we were at "Why, Baby, Why," V.J. said we needed to see "A Love Supreme."

I agree.

This is that new drama by young playwright Desirée Samone. It's the last weekend of this show at the Liberty Theatre. It can be seen at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

I'll be at the theater on Sunday.

See you there.

Why, Baby, Why

As I've said before, I'm no fan of country music.

I am a fan of Steve Valentini and Debbie Anderson.

V.J. Roberts called me late this afternoon asking if I'd go see "Why, Baby, Why" with her.

I was struggling with my work laptop, trying to get my work for next week's To Do finished. I mean I was struggling. It seemed every other minute, I was asking my editor for help. I'm certain that she's going to slap me silly by the end of the month.

At least I'm not the only one asking her for help.

When Dawn wasn't available, I was asking Jerry or Elizabeth for help.

It seems there's something wrong, but no one knows exactly what to do.

So I muddled through.

In the meantime, V.J. called asking when I could get free. I told her I had one more page.

Then I finally finished and I met her on the street and we walked to the Springer Opera House's Foley Hall.

Debbie and Steve just may be two of the most talented people in town. They can really, really sing.

You don't have to be a country music fan to appreciate the music of George Jones and Tammy Wynette. And the dialogue written by Paul Pierce is snappy and poignant and funny.

After the show, Steve told me that this was the best time he had doing a show in a long time. I believe it.

Paul said to me about Debbie, "Scratch the surface of this opera singer and you'll find a country music star." He got that right. But then Debbie told me years ago that when she was a kid, she traveled around the Southeast singing gospel and country songs with her family's band.

You have one more chance to see this show. It can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

If you love country music, this is the show to see. If you're like me and don't like country music. Go. You might change your mind.

I'm glad V.J. was persistent enough to make me leave my desk.

By the way, happy birthday, Allison! I'm sure you had a great party. I'm sorry I missed it.

But I bet I had a better 40th birthday party.

It was at the Loft and there was a lot of cheesecake instead of birthday cake.

The Springer Opera House was in rehearsal for "A Chorus Line," and during their break, the entire cast came over and sang "One" to me!

It was the best! People still talk about it.

It doesn't pay to get old

I swear when I turned 50, I was getting sick on a regular basis. I never had bronchitis until a few years ago. Now, I get it every winter.

If there's a bug going around, I'll catch it.

Last week, it was that stomach thing. Now, it's a cold. But I'm achy all over.

I should not have the flu because I had a flu shot last month.

I don't think it's severe.

I'll just stay home as much as possible. And stay away from people.

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta"

I never watched "The Real Housewives of Orange County" or "The Real Housewives of New York" on Bravo.

I was joking with my editor. I told her that I'd bet there would be "The Real Housewives of Buckhead."

Then this season, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" came on Bravo.

People started talking about it. Especially about NeNe. One of them is married to an NBA player; another is married to an NFL player. I watched a few minutes while I was flipping through the channels. I can't tell one from the other. But just like the other shows, these women are wealthy, living in huge houses. And they don't seem to be happy.

Last night was the season finale and posted a really high rating for a cable show. It was the No. 1 calbe telecast in prime time for adults ages 18-34, which is the most desired group of people.

The reality show was Bravo's highest-rated freshman series since "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

The special reunion show will be at 9 p.m. Nov. 25. You'll learn if NeNe and Kim patch things up and if Sheree and NeNe can be friends. And apparently, there was a catfight between Lisa and Kim. We'll find out what really happened to cause the fight.

Ever start to feel bad?

You know how sometimes you feel like you're coming down with something and get all addled?

Well, I may be addled all the time, but this afternoon, I started feeling flushed. Now, I'm going through menopause and have hot flashes all the time. This was not it. I know, too much information!

My body temperature is usually lower than the average 98.6 degrees. So if my temperature goes up to "normal," I have a slight fever. I think that's what happened.

So I told my editor that I had an interview at 5 p.m. and was going home. I went to the site where I was to meet the guys and no one was there.

I realized that I was supposed to meet them tomorrow!

I knew then that I should go home and sleep. I did just that. I got up and ate dinner. I'll get back in bed in a few.

I'm hoping this will pass quickly.

DWTS, Week 9

Cody Linley rehearsing with professional dancer Julianne Hough.

Last night was the semifinal of "Dancing with the Stars." I missed most of it because I was working. We have a new computer system and I'm still having a tough time getting the hang of it. We have worked on Mac systems since we went from typewriters to computers. Now, we use a PC system. I just can't get used to it.

So I'm going to have to get used to working on a PC. My laptop is a Mac.

Oh, well. Another thing I can put on my resume: Can use a PC.

Anyway, I predicted that Cody Linley would go home tonight. And I was correct.

Next Monday is the final. I'm still pulling for Warren Sapp.

The Singer-Moye Mounds

Columbus Museum board of trustees president Ken Callaway, left, watches University of Georgia senior vice president for external affairs Tom Landrum as he signs the agreement document that transfers the Singer-Moye Mounds from the museum to the university Monday afternoon.

Today was a gorgeous day. The skies were a bright blue, the sun was shining, the leaves were brilliant yellow, amber, orange, red and brown.

And I spent the afternoon in rural Stewart County with a bunch of giddy archaeologists.

Stewart County has probably the second largest American Indian mound area in the state.

I guess I've always known that the Columbus Museum had been given the Singer-Moye Mounds. I just always had them confused with the Rood Creek Mounds.

Everyone kept asking me if I'd been there before. I kept saying, yes I had, but that I had been there by boat. You see, a ranger who used to be at the Florence Marina State Park took me and L-E photographer Mike Haskey to Rood Creek.

One person said he didn't think the Singer-Moye Mounds were accessible by boat. I shrugged and said we did.

I didn't realize that these mounds were very unusual because they are not near water.

I finally figured out that there were two sets of mounds in our area. The Rood Creek Mounds are pretty accessible.

These are not. I bet I couldn't find them again.

There are eight of them. Don Gordy, who has spent 40 years of his life preserving these mounds, said he thought there were seven. He discovered the eighth mound about 15 years ago.

The area has been pretty well cleared. But I was very careful where I stepped. After all, I was in the country. And there are snakes in the country, right?

It is beautiful out there.

But I can't see myself digging out there. Garnett Stokes, the dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia said it will be a great research lab for archaeology students.

No kidding. I bet 90 percent of the mounds are untouched.

But they have been carbon dated to the 1400s.

It's really pretty cool.

Mac Moye is hoping that it will become a tourist draw. Clason Kyle was joking when he said he sees a Ferris Wheel and a Disney-esque Indian village on the site

I hope not, but I can see busloads of schoolchildren visiting the area.

Of course, as it becomes more and more well known, there's the risk of looters or just hoodlums destroying the site. I hope that doesn't happen either.

On the other hand, it's so gorgeous out there and I wish everyone can see it.

I'm sick

I couldn't sleep all night. My stomach hurt.

About 5 a.m., I left a message on my editor's phone, telling her I wasn't coming in.

A few hours later, I went out to get the paper and the first story I saw was the one about a stomach bug going around town. Well, whatever it is, I got it.

I've spent the entire day lying on the sofa.

Yuck!

I feel a little better, but not much.

Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling well enough to go to the Liberty Theatre to meet Desiree Samone, who wrote "A Love Supreme." I hope there was a good audience for the show. And I hope she liked the production.

And I really hope tomorrow will be better.

CMA Awards

I was just reading a story about the County Music Association Awards and when I read the list of people who appeared on the show, I realized a bunch of them have performed in Columbus in the past year: Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler and Sugarland. Not bad for a city that just doesn't get too many concerts.

I was trying to find this picture of Taylor Swift in a gown that was not age appropriate. I think she's far to young to be wearing something like that. I, being computer illiterate, couldn't download the picture. But go to www.eonline.com and click on Photos. Then find the photos from the CMA Awards. You'll see what I'm talking about.

381 Days

As I said last week, the Columbus Public Library, 3000 Macon Road, has a Smithsonian Institution exhibit called "381 Days," which tells the story of the Montgomery bus boycott.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, the Muscogee County Friends of Libraries, is bringing Hank Klibanoff to speak about his experiences as a newspaper reporter during the Civil Rights movement.

I got this bio on Klibanoff from Linda Hyles of the library.

He co-wrote "The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle and the Awakening of a Nation," which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for history.

"The Race Beat," written by Klibanoff and Gene Roberts, former editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer and former managing editor of The New York Times, explores news coverage of the civil rights movement in the South. The book looks at the impact and involvement of the black press, the Northern press, the Southern liberal and segregationist press, television and photojournalism from the 1930s through the late 1960s.

Klibanoff was born in Florence, Ala., and grew up in the South. He attended Washington University in St. Louis, and his master's degree at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

He began his reporting career in Mississippi in 1972 and, for six years, was the statehouse bureau in Jackson for the Sun-Herald on the Gulf Coast and the Delta Democrat Times in Greenville.

He also worked at the Boston Globe and the Philadelphia Inquirer crushed the vitality of rural towns in the Midwest.

Klibanoff had many jobs in his 35-year newspaper career, including sports, national, metro and business. He was also an editor.

For six years, Klibanoff taught a course in journalism issues for the urban studies department at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1995-1996, he was a fellow at the Freedom Forum’s Media Studies Center at Columbia University.

He joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a managing editor in October 2002 and served in that capacity until this summer when he resigned. He serves as a director on several boards, including the Associated Press Managing Editors Association (and was winner of its 2007 meritorious service award), the John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism; and VOX Teen Communications, an Atlanta non-profit youth development organization that, through a monthly newspaper and a Web site (www.voxrox.org), encourages and helps teens develop the skills and resources to express themselves on issues important to them.

Two newspaper projects in which he was deeply involved have been named finalists for Pulitzer Prizes: In 2006, when he was managing editor for news at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the newspaper was a finalist in the breaking news category for staff coverage of a downtown Atlanta shooting spree by a defendant who seized a deputy’s gun and killed a judge and three others; in 1995, when he was deputy metro editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, that newspaper was a finalist for the Public Service Award for a metro staff investigation into an extensive absentee ballot vote fraud that tipped the balance of power at the state Capitol; the newspaper’s disclosures led a federal judge to overturn the election.

Klibanoff has been awarded the Georgia Author of the Year in the history division in 2007, presented by the Georgia Writers Association; and the Clarence Cason Award in Nonfiction Writing this year, presented by The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences.

He was inducted this year into the Hall of Achievement at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, and was given the Distinguished Alumni Award at Washington University in St. Louis.

Klibanoff has lectured and written widely in the past several years on "The Race Beat," journalism and race relations.

Klibanoff and his wife Laurie have three daughters: Caroline, who is a freshman at Georgetown University; Eleanor, a junior in high school; and Corinne, who is in the eighth grade.

This sounds like something that everyone should go to. I'm going to try to be there.

DWTS, Week 8

Good-bye, Maurice Green and Cheryl Burke.

They are the latest couple voted off "Dancing with the Stars."

So the celebrities left are Warren Sapp, Brooke Burke, Lance Bass and Cody Linley.

I still like Sapp to win.

What do you think?

Why, Baby, Why

I've never, ever been a country music. I'm still not.

When my sister Dorothy was here a couple of weekends ago, she put James Taylor's new CD, the one where he covers a bunch of songs, on when we were in the car. One of the tracks is "Why, Baby, Why?" I said, that's George Jones.

Dorothy looked at me and asked why I would know that. I told her the Springer Opera House is doing "Why, Baby, Why: The Music of George Jones & Tammy Wynette."

Even though I don't like country music, I never underestimate its popularity.

It turns out the Springer has been selling out performances of "Why, Baby, Why," an original musical by Springer artistic director Paul Pierce.

People will go to the shows, fall in love with it and buy tickets for another show. Some are coming back several times.

For that reason, the Springer is holding the show over for three additional performances next weekend.

There are a few tickets left for this weekend's performances, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday in Foley Hall, 1016 First Ave.

The additional shows are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20-22.

Tickets are $10-$32.

Call 706-327-3688 to make sure tickets are available on the night you want to go.

A very busy fall

I really can't remember a busier fall than this one.

Local theater started with a bang when the Springer Opera House sold out every performance of "Menopause The Musical," which was followed by a very well-received "Bat Boy: The Musical" by the Columbus State University theater department.

The Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co. produced "Turn in Your Hymnal" and then did "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged" again at the Liberty Theatre.

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra had very good audiences for the first concert featuring the Eroica Trio. I'm sure the very handsome Philippe Quint had a very appreciative audience Saturday night.

And Fred Cohen, the director of the CSU Schwob School of Music, says the music school's concerts have been well attended.

Even with the economy as it is, you are still attending concerts and plays. And that's a good thing.

But I'm pooped. Covering all these shows and concerts is not easy. I know I tell everyone that I have the best job at the newspaper, but I'm busy. I shouldn't complain. At least these days, I don't have to cover nightclubs. I leave that to my colleague Sonya Sorich.

After Thanksgiving, I'll get a little respite. Then it starts all over again in January.

I am truly old and weak and don't know how long I can keep this up!

Going to the movies

Most of you know that I absolutely adore Russell Crowe. I know that "Body of Lies" has been out for weeks.

I finally went to see it today.

I loved the movie.

My gripe: I had to sit through something like 10 commercials. I'm not talking about movie trailers. I'm talking commercials. Then a couple of trailers came on. I really, truly do not mind watching the trailers. But I don't go to the movies to watch commercials that I can see on TV. That I expect to watch on TV.

A friend said that when he went to see a movie in Florida, he was late, but wasn't worried because he expected about 20 minutes of commercials and trailers. To his chagrin, the movie time was the time the movie started. If you wanted to watch the commercials and trailers, then you go early.

I like that.

I wonder if my friends at Carmike Cinemas would like that, too.

"Wicked"

Whenever I say I've never seen "Wicked," people look at me in disbelief.

But I haven't. I bought the book last year and haven't gotten past the first couple of pages.

It's not that I don't like "The Wizard of Oz." I've seen productions of that. I've seen the movie. I've seen "The Wiz" on stage and the movie version. I just haven't seen "Wicked."

Millions of people have.

On Nov. 2, in Atlanta's Fox Theatre, the national tour closed after 32 performances. It set attendance records there. More than 136,000 patrons saw the show, which meant the Fox's box office record was broken.

“We are thrilled with the success of 'Wicked' and the experience that we have been able to provide to our patrons," said Stephanie Parker, vice president of Broadway Across America — Atlanta. "This was a much anticipated production, and we have received a wonderful response from the community who truly embraced the show.”

I have a feeling that those box office records will be broken next year when "Jersey Boys" comes to the Fox.

For more information on the season, call 800-278-4447 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday or go to www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com

A Love Supreme

The Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co.'s next production is a collaboration with the Liberty Theatre.

The Liberty's Gayle Daniels was unable to get the rights to the play she had scheduled to start next week. Since ChattShakes' Troy Heard had been using the Liberty to present his plays, she asked him to find a play and direct it.

So he thought of his friend Desiree Samone, whom he met at the Savannah College of Art & Design. Troy was working on his master's degree in directing and Desiree was an undergraduate, taking a class where he was the teaching assistant.

He remembered her senior project about a young woman who wants to be a jazz singer against her mother's wishes.

The past few months, he's been working with her to flesh it out to a full play.

"A Love Supreme" will be presented, beginning next weekend.

I saw a little bit of it tonight. If you go on opening night, you'll get to meet the playwright.

And when she becomes famous, you can say, "I met her one night at the Liberty Theatre."

Dancing with the Stars, Week 7

La Lucci, as my friend Louise Shaffer calls her, was eliminated tonight. It's about time. I think she lasted far longer than she should have.

Louise, the self-proclaimed soap opera diva, worked on "All My Children," but got her daytime Emmy Award for her role as Rae Woodard on "Ryan's Hope."

She told me the night she won the Emmy, she was standing in the lobby of the hotel where they had the ceremony by herself, clutching the statue. Lucci was surrounded by reporters because she had lost for the umpteenth time!

After her career as a soap opera diva ended, Louise began writing for the soaps, including "All My Children."

She laughs when she said the writers were to write Susan Lucci's character, Erica Kane, as if she were 30. In reality, she was already in her mid-50s.

Since Louise and Susan are about the same age, she found it not only laughable but pretty pathetic.

Oh well, it is daytime drama when you need to suspend all credible belief. So why can't an aging actress pretend she's 20 years younger.

I'm no aging actress, but I act like I'm 20 years younger all the time.

Next week, I don't know who will be eliminated. Cody's got all the "Hannah Montana" kids voting for him. I'm guessing Lance Bass still has his N'Sync fans voting. I really don't know who is voting for Brooke Burke. Maurice Green has fans of the Olympics voting. I am still voting for Warren Sapp.

Burke got a perfect 30 Monday night. It's the first 30 of the season. It was a very good dance. Even I have to admit that.

But her music was a better fit for the foxtrot that some of the other stars'.

Wild guess? Lance Bass will leave next week.

Hot, hot dancer

My favorite ballroom dancer is Maksim Chmerkovskiy. No surprise there, right ladies?

He's absolutely gorgeous.

I didn't realize it, but he has never taken part in the "Dancing With the Stars" tour. According to TV Guide, he's never even see the tour.

But he'll be taking over as the tour choreographer from Louis van Amstel.

“What’s made me different as a choreographer will make this tour different,” he told TV Guide Magazine, promising to make the dances as interesting as possible.

The tour starts in December. He won't be able to choose which dancers will make in tour. Maks had to drop out of this season's "DWTS" because his partner, Misty May-Treanor blew out her Achilles heel tendon.

Chmerkovskiy says he wants a cast who “are capable of starting and finishing strong. And can learn the dances fast.”

The tour typically comes to Atlanta. This may be on that I might have to buy a ticket to see!

Update: I just saw that the tour will be 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 in the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway.

Scheduled to be on the tour are Lance Bass, Toni Braxton, Maurice Greene, Marlee Matlin, Mark Ballas, Derek Hough, Kym Johnson, Lacey Schwimmer, Karina Smirnoff and Fabian Sanchez. Cloris Leachman will be busy. She's filming a movie with Quentin Tarantino. You know, the one starring Brad Pitt.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday. They are $52.50-$168. Yikes! Maybe I won't be going after all.

Call 404-249-6400.

Election Day

I voted early. Last Monday at the Government Center. I waited about 90 minutes.

I voted early because I knew I'd have to work today. I thought I'd have to wait a long, long time today. I was wrong. When I visited my precinct, Rothschild Middle School, I found out that even when there were 250 people in line, it only took 90 minutes.

It turned out that Nancy Boren's office had trained the poll workers very, very well. For the first time, I saw queues like the ones you see in amusement park lines.

Another new thing was the "greeter" at each precinct. This person asked every person who was in line if they were a new voter to make sure that he was in the right precinct. What a great idea. I mean wouldn't it suck if you stood in line for 90 minutes only to find out that you were in the wrong place?

Everything went smoothly at the two precincts I went to — Rothschild and St. John AME Church.

And I got to meet some really neat people like Sandy Dowdell at Rothschild and Debora Grant at St. John.

Sandy is a top salesman at HH Gregg and has been working the polls for 19 years. He made his way from a volunteer to assistant poll manager to poll manager. It was his first year at Rothschild, so he wanted to make sure things were running well. When he got to the school at 5:30 a.m., there were already 50 people waiting in line. Some brought lawn chairs and blankets. By the time he opened the doors at 7 a.m., there were about 250 people in line.

When I got there about 2:30 p.m., people could just walk in and vote and leave. But Sandy was expecting another surge around 4:30 p.m. as people got off work. He told me to come back around 8:15 p.m. to get the results.

He was just about right on time about that.

Over at St. John's, Grant, who is the pastor of the church, had set up a table just outside the door of the fellowship hall where the voting took place. She was offering coffee, tea, cider, juice, water and snacks for both voters and poll workers. If people could pay for it, fine. If not, that was fine, too.

To the side, were some folks selling hot dogs and fish sandwiches.

It was almost like a festival.

She also had prayer night Tuesday, where there wasn't a service. She was just offering her sanctuary for people to pray for "our country, our leaders, our community, and most of all, to pray for peace."

What a wonderful idea!

At the newspaper, our editors had a plan and we were all split up across the city. Besides the reporters, we had folks from advertising and circulation departments helping us. And we had students from Columbus High, Harris County High and Brookstone School going to precincts to get results.

All we had to do is go to our assigned precinct, get the results and call them in.

I was finished by 9 p.m.

Now I'm home and watching the returns on ABC and flipping back to Andrew Zimmern and "Bizarre Food" on the Travel Channel.

I was talking to my sister Dorothy tonight. I told her that South Carolina has gone for McCain. She said she wasn't surprised.

Every week, she goes to the Saturday outdoor market. She said she was talking to a woman and told her that she had voted early. The woman asked if she voted the right way. Dorothy told her she voted the left way! And the woman said, "Good for you."

When I was voting last week, I met my sister-in-law, Cheryl. She said she and Fred split the vote every year. She votes Democrat and he votes Republican. "We cancel each other out every year," she said. But I told her that every vote counts. She ought to know. She lived in Florida during that disastrous 2000 presidential election.

Anyway, I've done my part. We'll see what happens as the night goes on.