Author Karen R. Jenkins schedules official book release event for "Nobody Told Me!"

Author and TWG client Karen R. Jenkins will officially release her new book, "Nobody Told Me! The Path to Financial Empowerment" at a reception and book signing event on October 14, 2010.  The event will take place at the new Houston's Low Country Grill on North Main Street in Columbia.

TWG client and former Columbia reporter Jerrita Patterson back in the mix

Photo Credit: Jerrita Patterson/Facebook

Congratulations to reporter Jerrita Patterson on her move to Huntsville, Alabama!  "When one door closes, another door opens," said Patterson of her new opportunity.  She joined the WHNT News 19 team on September 27, 2010 after spending two years at WACH FOX News in Columbia, South Carolina.

Former President Jimmy Carter cancels Columbia book signing event

The book signing event featuring former President Jimmy Carter scheduled for Thursday, September 30th in Columbia, SC has been cancelled.  The event was to take place at the Village at Sandhill Books-A-Million store at 11:30 AM.  President Carter suffered an upset stomach earlier this week while flying to an event in Ohio.  The former president remains in a Cleveland hospital for observation but is said to be "in good spirits."  No word, yet, on whether the Columbia event will be rescheduled.

Carter, the 39th President of the United States, has been a prolific writer since leaving office.  "White House Diary" is his 24th book.  Carter was in the White House from January 20, 1977-January 20, 1981.  He turns 86 on Friday.

CNN anchor goes from covering a news story to becoming a news story

Don Lemon, left, urges John Campbell III, Gabrielle A. Richardson and Gary A. Foster Jr., supporters of Bishop Eddie Long, to keep an open mind about the sexual allegations against Long. (From Richard Prince's Journal-isms) Watch Video Clip

CNN's Don Lemon said "it just came out" during an interview he was doing on the Bishop Eddie Long scandal. Over the weekend, Lemon admitted, on-air, to three young members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and his national television audience, that he was the victim of a pedophile at the age of 6.

On the surface, a brave revelation which drew many messages of support to Lemon. I feel for Lemon and any person who has endured the pain a pedophile inflicts on a young mind; a young psyche. But I question the journalistic wisdom of revealing that personal secret while doing his job.

Lemon told Richard Prince of the Maynard Institute's "Journal-isms" blog, "It was unplanned and I am human. There was no agenda behind it." That is certainly possible, but in the more than 20-years that I spent working in television news, on the local level, I never had a deep personal secret spontaneously fly out of my mouth, while on-air, related or unrelated to the subject matter being discussed.

Distracted Driving on the Job

Photo: Ed Brown

I received a Tweet this afternoon from Consumer Reports about the 2010 Distracted Driving Summit taking place in Washington D.C. involving government leaders, industry executives and safety experts.  Their goal, according to Consumer Reports, is to develop policies designed to limit dangerous distractions.

I don't think anyone would disagree that distracted driving is not just dangerous, it's deadly.  The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that distracted driving resulted in more than 5,400 deaths and 448,000 injuries.  If that's not the slap in the face we all need to put the cell phones, PDAs, mascara brushes and hair combs away while rolling down while rushing off to work, school or wherever, I don't know what it will take.  And, I say that knowing-- full well-- that I am guilty of doing everything from trying to pull something out of the rear console or eating, to talking on the phone or texting all while driving.  I know, I know--- STUPID!  I need to sign that pledge Oprah promotes.