Ask The Star Morning Show...

We regularly do an on-air feature called 'Ask The Star Morning Show'. Yes, perhaps a bit self serving, but if you are new to the show, here are few things about 'The Star Morning Show with J.R. & Kate.'


Okay, there's J.R., Kate and who's this Jason guy in the room? Jason is our morning show producer and was formerly the overnight DJ on Star 100.7, working from 11 p.m. - 5 a.m. He is now a daywalker. Learn more about him here.


What's the deal, did you guys come with the furniture over there or what? J.R. and I have been with 100.7 (in one form or another) for 10 and 11 years respectively. Extremely rare, and extremely lucky to stay in one place for so long. We've been midday dj's, afternoon d.j's, music directors, program directors, and have done mornings both separate and together all on 100.7. We also do an unbelievable amount of sucking up.


What's the deal with the 'Star Morning Show Touch of Death', 'The Wheel Of Pain' and the other weird things you guys say... Just like you develop your own code words and language with co workers and friends, we've got the same thing with you, our listeners. For example, if a guest blows us off with no notice, they get 'The Star Morning Show Touch Of Death' (a reference to Bart in an episode of the Simpsons). For any and all other references to language on the Star Morning Show, click here.



Who are all the other people on the show? What would Oprah be without Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, & Dr. Robin? Hmmmm, for that matter, what WOULD Oprah do without doctors? Anyway, we have guests that appear on a regular or semi regular basis. They will soon have a permanant home on our page, but for now, they are blogged.

Chuck The Movie Guy- Tuesdays at 6:50 a.m. and Fridays at 6:50 a.m. The guy IS the Burgh's best kept secret. He talks to the biggest stars in the WORLD. Why channel 2,4,&11 isn't beating down his door...I don't know. Our gain, their loss. Take a look at his huge line up of interviews here

Jocelyn Vena- She's the senior online reporter for OK Magazine. She brings us the GOOOOOOOD dirt every Friday. Check out more here

Gretchen Fieser - our friend from the Western Pa. Humane Society joins us on Tuesdays and brings with her animals that need a your love and your home! Take a look at Gretchen's friends!

Here's the rest of the crew that join us from time to time... Mark Steines, Jordan Goodman, Dr. Michael Kluska, and Laurie Lowenberg.


Want to know more? Email me at staram@1007.com

We are ROCKIN'...in our own way

This past weekend my son started his second season of Kindermusik. If you don't have kids or have not investigated these "classes" for your kids, I want to tell you all about them because we both LOVE them. Let me start with a disclaimer; seriously, I am not being paid nor I am looking to be paid to talk about this---we just had a great time this weekend!

Kindermusik are classes that meet weekly and are made up of age similar children. They learn very basic things about rhythm and have a lot of fun with different percussion instruments. We sing songs, dance a lot, and moms ---it's a nice little workout to start the day! Our instructor is Kit Walter and she does a GREAT job! If you're looking for a little fun time out of the house with the little ones ---this is it!



Ladies if you're looking for a mid winter break from brittle hair, dry skin, and blah makeup, make sure you register to win for our 'Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day' Getaway. You can win a full makeover including hair, makeup, manicure and pedicure!
Get the details and your chance to win right here

What Are You Doing Today?

On the show, we took a President's Day quiz that made me realize something; I knew more about which stores and government offices were open/closed for the holiday than about the holiday itself. How much do you know about Washington, Lincoln...and the other guys? Here are a couple of sites for you and the kids----don't get caught like I did!


Wikipedia info

Stuff for the kids

Here's the White House's site for kids

Cold Enough For Ya?!?!?!

Sorry just had to get that out of the way...






Thanks again to the 700+ couples who came out to renew their wedding vows at Carnegie Music Hall at The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland. Our mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, performed the renewl ceremony, and Pittsburgh is on its way to the Guiness Book of World Records; we're gonna break the record for couples renewing vows at one time.


This one is also for the record. Though we may often argue like a married couple and it seems as though we are always appearing together, here is the final proof that J.R. & I actually are married to OTHER people.

Here's our new "wedding photo" last night ---Pete and I will be married 9 years this June. Find more photos on the radio station website at www.1007.com.





With Valentine's Day in the work week this year...will you do anything? Go out to dinner? See a movie? My husband and I decided that the best way for us to celebrate V-Day would be to hang out with the coolest person we know---our son. I know, I know, cheesy right? Well, we're still in the 'cheesy' phase of new parenthood. Oh, and we'll probably open a bottle of wine AFTER he goes to bed!





Have you seen this video? Did this MSNBC reporter deserve suspension? Should he have been fired?

Have you heard/seen more outrageous things fly since election coverage heated up?

Baby's Best Friend

I'm sure any pet parent who becomes a people parent has experienced this, but we're going through this right now with our son and our lab mix Sable. They are bonding -- big time. We spent months watching our son observe the dog and vice versa. Then all of a sudden, he's brushing her fur, riding her like a horse, and watching Sesame Street with her. They are now buddies---in their own way. Sable is a great dog and very good with John, but she, just like us, has NO IDEA what he's saying. You get an idea from which you can get an idea of what he's saying, but until you get a little English, it's anyone's guess. So here's our son commanding our dog to fetch, in his own language, which Sable does not understand because she knows the command as "get it" not "daaaaaaahhhh".

While on the subject, when will our guy talk? He turns 18 months next week and we have 'Da Da' , 'Yeah', and he repeats any word you say to him and answers any question you have for him...it's just in his own language. he babbles all day, we're just looking for an interpreter.

Any tips on how to get our son on the fast track to talking a little ...faster?

In Honor Of Super Tuesday...

Here's an article running on MSN.com today. After today, half of the country will have had the opportunity to choose a presidential candidate. Blow your mind? Don't have a clue? Don't care? Here'


In honor of Super Tuesday and that whole 2008 election thing, we salute the 10 greatest movie presidents

By John Moe
Special to MSN Movies

Hollywood has always offered us some cinematic heads of state who are a little different from the candidates appearing on your local news. Here are 10 of our favorites, along with ratings on their effectiveness and what their chances would be in the 2008 race (10 being a shoo-in; 1 being no shot):


10. President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho (Terry Crews) - "Idiocracy" (2006)
Perhaps no president, real or cinematic, brings as diverse a resume to the office as President Camacho from the cult classic "Idiocracy." In a nightmare future where only the stupid have propagated, the nation is led by this former pro wrestler and porn star played with clueless exuberance by Terry Crews. Sure, President Camacho isn't very smart and, yes, most plant life is dead because people have been using energy drinks instead of water for irrigation. But Camacho does drive a chopper and is awfully muscular, so he gets to hold the highest office in the land.

Effectiveness as President: 1. Civilization is crumbling all around Camacho but we give him a point since none of his thick-headed contemporaries appear any better suited to the job.

2008 Electability: 1. Camacho wouldn't fare well debating the intricacies of health care policy, but among a certain segment of the electorate he would likely be very popular indeed.


9. President Tom Beck (Morgan Freeman) - "Deep Impact" (1998)
Freeman has always had an air of easygoing wisdom in the roles he plays, but it gets put to the test here. After all, managing an apparently doomed Earth is way trickier than putting up with persnickety Miss Daisy. After covering up the existence of a killer comet, President Beck announces that, yes, it's there, but everything will be OK because he's sending astronauts to blow it up. The plan fails and it then falls to the president to oversee the selection of survivors to hide in underground caves. Although most of the Eastern seaboard gets wiped out, the world is mostly saved thanks to Robert Duvall's astronomical self-sacrifice. At film's end, President Beck is still in charge of what remains of the United States.

Effectiveness as President: 7. Sure, the cover-up was a bit sneaky but, honestly, how well would YOU manage a situation like that?

2008 Electability: 6. Trustworthy, sure, but probably doesn't smile enough to get elected today.

8. President Arnold Schwarzenegger (Harry Shearer) - "The Simpsons Movie" (2007)
In the parallel universe of "The Simpsons," all things are possible, including a change in the constitution allowing the Austrian-born action hero and California governor to ascend to the Oval Office. Once ensconced at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., President Schwarzenegger is not so big on deliberation. Faced with reports of dangerous pollution levels in Springfield, he is told there are five unthinkable options, each of which will cause untold misery. Schwarzenegger instantly picks No. 3, never bothering to learn what's actually involved in that or any other option.

Effectiveness as President: 5. Like many cinematic presidents, Schwarzenegger may lack intellectual depth, but he does offer a bold decisiveness unencumbered by actual data.

2008 Electability: 5. As handsome as he is, Americans may be unprepared to vote for a cartoon.

7. President Joseph Staton (Dennis Quaid) - "American Dreamz" (2006)
Like that of President Schwarzenegger, President Staton's life had been pretty easy during his first term. He assiduously avoided reading newspapers lest any new information pollute his simple and manageable worldview. But after his re-election, Staton gives news a chance, soon starts doubting all his beliefs, and suffers a nervous breakdown. To rehabilitate the president's image, his chief of staff lands him a gig judging an "American Idol"-like TV contest. Though "American Dreamz" tanked at the box office, Quaid's clueless and not-so-subtle Dubya-esque performance is hilarious.

Effectiveness as President: 5. Not the brightest guy ever to hold the office, but Staton earns points for his eventual intellectual awakening.

2008 Electability: 4. He's charismatic and good-looking but that newfound complexity would prove deadly in 30-second campaign commercials.

6. President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) - "The American President" (1995)
President Shepherd, a widower with a precocious daughter, is immensely popular, carrying a 63 percent approval rating that may be too high for modern political observers to imagine. But it takes the love of a good woman, lobbyist Sydney Wade (Annette Bening), to transform Shepherd from a deal-maker into a truly principled leader. President Shepherd forgoes a politically expedient compromise in favor of keeping his word to the woman he loves. Shepherd's redemption is aided by the fact that his opponent in an upcoming re-election battle is Senator Bob Rumson, played in caricature by Richard Dreyfuss as a sort of combination of Jesse Helms and a badger.

Effectiveness as President: 8. Sure, some obstacles are thrown Shepherd's way, but when you're in a romantic comedy there's nothing that can't be solved by realizing you're wrong and following your heart.

2008 Electability: 7. As long as Shepherd has Aaron Sorkin writing for him, he should do quite well, especially if the other side nominates Rumson.


5. President James Dale (Jack Nicholson) - "Mars Attacks!" (1996)
It is said that only in a crisis can one judge a leader. Well, it's hard to imagine a greater crisis than flying saucers full of Martians invading Earth. President Dale does the best he can but ultimately comes up somewhat short. Dale is persuaded by softhearted advisors to attempt friendly diplomatic relations with the bug-eyed, huge-brained aliens. When this plan fails and the aliens begin gleefully vaporizing every human and national landmark they can find, the president switches to Plan B: Blow them up with nuclear weapons. This plan proves as doomed as the president himself, although strategic playing of a Slim Whitman tune finally does the Martians in.

Effectiveness as President: 3. Dale doesn't really deliver in times of crisis, though you have to give him some credit for flexibility.

2008 Electability: 5. Dale's a disaster of a politician but five points are awarded simply because it's Jack Nicholson and who wouldn't want to vote for Jack?

4. "President" Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) - "Dave" (1993)
Kevin Kline pulls double duty in 1993's "Dave." Kline plays both President Bill Mitchell, knocked out of commission during an extramarital tryst, and Dave Kovic, an occasional presidential impersonator secretly brought in to act the part on a long-term basis. While Mitchell had been foundering in office, Dave turns out to be a natural, soon reaching beyond the restraints placed on him by the real president's scheming advisors. He's able to balance the budget and find additional funds to fight homelessness after just one marathon session with an accountant friend. And he's able to do it all with manic comic pacing while wooing and confusing Sigourney Weaver.

Effectiveness as President: 8. Would have easily scored a 10 had it not been for the whole "living a lie and deceiving the American people" thing.

2008 Electability: 6. Dave is smart, charming and humble. Great skills for a president. But how are you ever going to get through the primaries with an approach like that?

3. President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) - "Air Force One" (1997)
Possibly the butt-kickingest human being to ever hold the office, President Marshall manages to thwart a gang of murderous terrorists while returning from a trip to the former Soviet Union aboard the presidential aircraft. Sure, we never learn much about President Marshall's health plan, stance on environmental issues, or energy policies, but when it comes to punching out baddies, you always know where he stands. Being called upon to engage in hand-to-hand combat is highly unlikely for a president, but then again Gary Oldman's Russian accent is pretty unlikely, too, and it still needs to be dealt with.

Effectiveness as President: 7. If Marshall deals with Congress the same way he deals with terrorists, C-SPAN's ratings would be through the roof.

2008 Electability: 4. Macho, sure, but awfully dour. Are you going to a vote for a guy who hasn't smiled since "Star Wars"?

2. President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) - "Independence Day" (1996)
As awesome as President Marshall is in "Air Force One," what with defeating terrorists with his fists and all, President Whitmore might actually do him one better. Whitmore actually flies planes -- fighter jets! -- and helps defeat space aliens. Prior to leading that aerial assault, Whitmore faces challenges not often faced by presidents: He must order the evacuation of major American cities to escape the evil aliens and coordinate (ultimately unsuccessful) nuclear strikes on spaceships. Abe Lincoln, great as he was, never had to deal with that. In the end, Earth wins and Whitmore stays in office, presumably with impressive approval ratings.

Effectiveness as President: 10. Dude saved the world. Can't get much better than that.

2008 Electability: 9. Accomplished, attractive, articulate. Only knock would be lingering confusion over the difference between Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton.

1. President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers) - "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964)
The name alone indicates that with Merkin Muffley in office one should expect neither macho swagger nor magnetic charisma. This president, played as many "Dr. Strangelove" characters were by Peter Sellers, was reportedly patterned after the king of the mild-mannered politicians: 1950s presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson. Sellers' performance of an exasperated middle manager in way over his head and dealing with forces way beyond his control is an understated comic masterpiece.

Effectiveness as President: 0. When a global nuclear war happens on your watch, you pretty much automatically get a zero.

2008 Electability: 2. Adlai Stevenson wasn't telegenic or dynamic enough to beat Eisenhower, so one doubts that Muffley could stand up to modern scrutiny.

It's the weekend..

7 a.m. and everyone is still asleep (including the dog). I should be ...cleaning, working out, writing out bills, etc., etc., etc., but here I am at the computer with a cup of coffee.

What are you doing this weekend?


I am...



waiting for the the word from Phil. The sun is not up yet so "I have no clue" as to whether or not we will have six more weeks of winter.




going to a 'decorating party' for my future sister in law's wedding shower (it's tomorrow). Beth has been around our family for a while now, so we can't wait to officially 'bring her in'. She and my brother Len get married on March 15th. Careful while looking at the photo---their cuteness will kill you...







putting my son in a tuxedo. He is a 'jr. ring bearer' in the wedding and I need to make sure everything fits. Putting a necktie on an 18 month old. Good Times.




staying away from Britney Spears for almost 48 hours. I checked in on her this morning. Her folks are in legal control. I think I can let go until I go back to work on Monday.




Watch 'Lost' again with my husband. All I do is complain about this show, yet I can't stop watching it. It causes me so much grief. It really pisses me off. I still watch it. For viewers of this show, there are no answers, just emotional abuse.

Have a great weekend!