The Shakara Show

I have JUST finished watching Bryan Polcyn's excellent investigative report, "A Night In The Inner City".

Bryan, I would like to thank you for rolling up your sleeves and going on 29th and Locust to do this story. Thank you for talking to the people that live in the neighborhood, showing the man that set up the initiative on his block to fight violent crime, and thank you for setting up your cameras, dispelling the awful rumors and stereotypes that people have in their heads.

What irony...those so called "gunshots" were fireworks. Yes, illegal fireworks, but fireworks, and NOT gunshots.

At first, I was very nervous about this report. I thought you were just going to keep airing the bad news that the people in these neighborhoods already know about. But you showed what the people in the suburbs don't see on the news. A quiet neighborhood on a Saturday night. People riding bicycles, jumping rope, and throwing footballs.

Thank you for pointing out that the PEOPLE are violent, not the neighborhood. The people that come and cause problems don't even live in the area.

Thank you for this story. I hope people in the suburbs that constantly turn their noses up on the inner city will be encouraged to do something to HELP our communities, instead of running away from the problem.

Thanks Bryan.

We all remember the dreaded Super Bowl incident that caused MTV to actually BAN Janet and her videos. The Grammy's even refused to invite her to a past show. But Janet has a new song and video for her new album set to release this year. She's clothed, but the video is honestly very weird. Take a look:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=g0gNoMi-Vsc



What do you think? Are you looking forward to Janet's comeback? She does look great for a 40 year old...

So....I'm currently a Journalism major at Valparaiso University in Indiana. I have quickly realized that this is not the school for me. The easy thing to do would be to transfer back home to UWM. However, my parents have made it very clear that they do not want me to transfer. They have given me an ultimatum. If I transfer home to Milwaukee, they will provide NO financial assistance and I will NOT be able to live at home. As an only child, I have no one else to turn to for help or assistance. Applying for FAFSA has resulted in another blow. Because I am a dependent child and both of my parents are married and have jobs that do support the family, I was only offered $1700 from UWM. That is a start, but I cannot put myself through school with that amount alone. I am determined to move back home to the city that I've grown up in for almost 19 years. Milwaukee is my home. And this is my life. I don't want to load you with my sob story, but I am ready to drive my life in the direction of my choosing, not my parents'.  I believe education is very important, and UWM is a great school in a great community.


Can anyone help me? Should I wait? Or should I leave and be happy? My happiness comes at a price, my parents' sadness and disappointment. Are there any good scholarships for people who are ALREADY in school? PLEASE don't tell me about fastweb because it doesn't work. Everyone uses that site, which depletes my chances. Someone help! Are there any mothers out there with an opinion? Other college students? Fellow alumnus?

When I was about 8 or 9. my mom enrolled my in the John Casablanca Modeling Program. It cost over $1000. SHE wanted me to be some star. I just wanted to be a KID. I didn't know anything about modeling! I just wanted to get dirty and play! I was a cute kid of course :) But that lifestyle at such a young age was something I didn't understand. Needless to say, I didn't get far in the program. I don't know how my fellow young classmates did, but I went back to being a kid, and my mom doesn't fail to bring up the thousands of dollars I cost her for being a failure. That's another topic....

With that said, there are many kids who display their talents at a young age, be it singing, dancing, acting, playing an instrument, or sports. Is it fair to get your kids "noticed" at such a young age? Or should you wait until they are of age to understand what being a celebrity means? Parents are naturally bragging people. Their proud of their kids, and there's nothing wrong with that, but how far is too far? If you push them into society's hands too soon, there's no telling WHAT could happen.

Take these fine peoeple for example. They gained the celeb status at a young age. You be the judge: wait or let your kids be celebs ASAP?

Lindsey Lohan
Raven-Symone
The Olsen Twins
Britney Spears
Aaliyah
Brandy
Dakota Fanning


FOUR year old in Beauty Pageant

http://drphil.com/assets/a/a0099d7503c40089c31e32cd0e5
2fea2.jpg

More on the topic:
http://drphil.com/shows/show/680/

A woman was recently duped into handing over her money to a fake Hannah Montana ticket seller.

The woman was scammed by running into a fake eBay website. She found good seats for $498. This woman WIRED the money half way across the world to Europe. Do you think she got those great seats? NO. "I cried for hours!" the woman said in an interview on Channel 4. "I was trying to surprise my daughter."

My question is why on earth would anybody pay half a grand to see some pre-teen pop star perform a few corny songs? I understand kids love the girl.That's great, she appears to be a good role model, better than Jamie Lynn Spears. But is it really worth $498? Or more? You can see her perform the SAME SONGS on ABC Saturday mornings for FREE!

It's amazing how people can fork over this much money for this little pop star, but some of the same people are behind on their bills and their homes are falling into foreclosure. I'm not saying everyone who does it is irresponsible, but there are people who don't have their priorities straight.  If people would donate that amount of money to charities or to feed the homeless, hmmmm... that doesn't cross their minds.

I want to know what the true definition of a good diet is. There are so many fads and pills out there, are so many people are falling into the trap of believing that pills alone can fix their problems. There's the new Alli pills, the 48 Hour Hollywood Diet (a drink), Hoodia teas and pills, among several others. Are these things too good to be true? Is the best diet exercising and eating a "healthy" diet? What is the best way to stay in shape?  

I'm an 18-year old college student who is seeking a bit more independence: my first car.

Has anyone who's ever purchased a used vehicle like to share that experience with me? How much is too much to pay? How much is not enough? How many miles is ideal on a used car? Which makes/models are best? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank You!

:)

I recently visited Applebee's in the Midtown Shopping Center. BIG Mistake.

My boyfriend, two of our mutual friends, and myself went in for dinner.The waiter we had was awful. He appeared, introduced himself, and walked away. He then returned to ask us if we wanted drinks. We ordered a few sodas. We didn't get them for a whole 15 minutes, no kidding. When he finally arrived to take our orders, I asked him what the soup of the day was. His reply: "Sorry, I don't know, um, let me, um, uh...." Wait, you are the waiter. You've been here all day! But I just told him not to worry about it, no big deal. I ordered the chicken Alfredo. Everyone at the table got their food BEFORE me. Last time I checked, everyone at the table gets their food at once. He then admitted to forgetting to place my order. I was later presented with a cold plate of almost dry noodles, with no chicken. *grrrrrr*

No need to explain what his tip was...

With all that said, I'd like to know what/where was your worst restaurant experience. How did you handle it?

In this blog, I would like to get to know some of the Fox Blog Family. Some of us are regulars, while others just come every now and then when we have the time. I'd like you to just post a quick line or to about yourself. Yes, I know we all have a "About Me" Section, but if you could sum up your life in a few words or so, what would you say? What is the most unique thing about you? What makes you different from the rest? 

We had a lot of breaking news stories this year. As we prepare to enter a new year, I would like you to share which story (local or national) shocked you the most? It can be ANYTHING!

Here's A Short Recap To Choose From:

The death of Anna Nicole Smith
The Don Imus Scandal
Al Gore and the Global Warming Crisis
Britney Spears Scandal(s)
Michael Vick Troubles
Ald. Michael McGee in Jail
Massacre at Virginia Tech
NASA Astronaut Lisa Nowak
Mattel's Big Recall
Minneapolis Deadly Bridge Collapse
Baseball & Steroids
Larry Craig & His "Foot Tapping"
Pres. Bush & Karl Rove
The Jena 6


Or, you can share a personal event that took place this year that had a major impact on your life. I love to read your thoughts!

 

We live in Wisconsin. Home of the crazy weather. In winter time, it SNOWS. What idiot doesn't know that?

With that said, why do Fox 6's rivals act like it's never snowed in Milwaukee before?

When I'm watching my prime time shows on other stations, they ALWAYS show these fearful commercials.

For example, Storm Team 4 aka Scare Team 4, will have a short promo like "A BIG snowstorm is headed our way! Be prepared and WATCH US AT 10!" And they say it with a serious face and play dramatic music. We live in WISCONSIN! It's winter time! SNOW is nothing new! It's not the first storm and definitely not the last.

Or during the broadcast, they'll talk about an upcoming storm. "Today is Monday, but our models show a HUGE storm coming from the West that will be here on Saturday! Be prepared! It's gonna get ugly! Look for closings and delays!!"

Then Saturday will come, and we only get half an inch.

Ok, enough bashing other stations. This is why I stick to my fellas on Fox 6. Vince, Rob, and Bart aren't over dramatic. Yay Fox 6! :)

We've ALL heard the negative things about Wal-Mart. As much as I hate it, I LOVE shopping at Wal-Mart! Especially the one on 108th St, and the big one in Germantown. The ones in the city are so small. But, this year, Wal-Mart's tag line is "The more you save, the more Christmas you can give".

Ok, yes, we do give gifts on Christmas, but is Wal-Mart that money hungry?

Has America really come to the point where Christmas is only about how many money we can spend and how many gifts we can give?

And what about that jewelry commercial where the couple breaks the wishbone? The daughter asks how does it work. The parents say the one who gets the bigger piece "gets their wish". Then the father presents the wife with a diamond ring or bracelet or some expensive object. *Ugh*

Is this what we want to teach our kids?

What do you all think?

From an e-mail I recently received:

Only in America:

-Drugstores make sick people walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes in the front.

-Banks leave both doors open but chain the pens to the counter

-We leave our good cars in the driveway and store the junk in the garage

-We sell hot dogs in packs of ten, but hot dog buns in packs of eight,

-We have Drive-up ATM's with braille lettering

Ever Wonder Why:

-Psychics never win the lottery?

- Doctors call what they do practice

- The man who invests all your money  is called a "broker"

-The time of day with the slowest traffic called "rush hour"

-That indestructible black box on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff???

-Why are they called "apartments" when they are all stuck together?

-If flying is so safe, why is the airport also called the "terminal"?

Did this give you a good laugh???

Question:

How come there aren't any Black Santa Clause's at our local malls? Is Santa only a White Jolly guy? How come he can't be a happy Asian or a gift giving Native American? What about a friendly Latino or Hispanic Santa? This is supposed to be America, right? Christmas is the holiday where all races and cultures come together. So how come my cousin's only sit on a White guy's lap? Absolutely no offense to White Santa's. But can Santa's be other races as well?

What do you think?

I have a decision on my hands.

I LOVE the weather. But, in order to get my degree in Meteorology, I have to take 3 levels of Calculus, and three levels of Physics. I am absolutely TERRIBLE in math. I hate it with all my heart. I'm so scared my math skills will hinder me from getting my degree. But I love the weather.

I love writing. English has always been my best subject. On the writing portion of the ACT, I got the highest score you could get. However, the journalism field is highly competitive, and that makes me nervous.

I don't know if I should stick to Meteorology of go ahead and switch to Broadcast Journalism.

Any tips anyone?