Hi Brian -
Let me be among the first to wish you Happy Birthday, tomorrow. Time flies, but you're still enjoying your work and your family - those are the best gifts.

I'm impressed with the way President Obama has already moved toward a Souter successor - actually I'm impressed with his whole unique approach to the Presidency.

We do live in interesting times, don't we?

Joan

Good evening, Brian! I hope you had a great weekend, with plenty of rest.

Thanks for all of the articles on David Souter you've linked in your blog, what an obsession! I've never heard of the websites all of those came from, glad to learn of great new ones!

I hope you have a great start of this week, personally and on the broadcast tonight.

Take care!
-Cary

Nice report Brian I did notice my choice as a new Justice wasn't mentioned by you, as I've never been a Justice's clerk or a Law Maker. The good news is the White House does except and  consider opinions/suggestions of regular people like me. I know this was written but hasn't been done in 8 years but I got a reply with my suggested/opinion of the replacement of the Justice being considered. I guess little regular people like me,now count too.

Things seem to be moving right along for the Obama Administration. While I visited Sacramento this pass weekend I heard good reports from the regular people about what the Obama Administration is doing. Swine Flu didn't seem to be a problem as people still gathered together. Hope and Faith seem to have caught on and Fear has taken a back seat.

I typed Lester's reports this weekend and I'm like to say Congrads to his son. Yes I've had 4 memories of that special day and the pictures are still in my mine. Now it's the start of life and a new adventure for all of the graduates of this year.

see you same time same place

Brian--Have a happy, happy birthday tomorrow and best wishes for health and happiness in your second half-century.

Richard--Be careful and be safe in the AfPak area. Thanks for all your great analysis on many different TV shows while you were home. It was always interesting. How I would love to see you and Fareed Zakaria discuss the AfPak situation! What a treat for the audience that would be! And of course, we look forward to your reports from the region. Just please take care.

Some very interesting tidbits pop up on TVNewser. Check the Friday 5/1 edition for a list of the NBC Newsers who will attend the Sat. 5/9 White House Correspondents Dinner. I count 70! What a crowd! C-Span usually broadcasts the dinner, so if you want to catch a glimpse of your favorites all duded up, check C-Span's weekend listings.

Matt--A belated happy birthday and yes we are excited by the vacancy on the Supreme Court. Brian certainly is. See the post above. More, I'm sure, to come. I am too and I think and hope it will be a woman. One woman on the court is certainly not enough.

Helen from Moscow--You send us such beautiful pictures that need no captions--their language is universal. The dogs are so adorable! Thanks.

Cyrena--I can't even imagine what it must have felt like to have a speeding, airborne COT coming at you. I think you used the correct word: heartstopping! I'm glad you and everyone else are now OK. I missed that whole race--I had to go out. Arrived home just in time to see the last 2 minutes of the post race show, and of course, the clip of Edwards nearly going through the fence. I was astounded! But I heard the whole race was quite exciting. Just leave off the end!

Laurel--Where are you? You OK?

Both Laurel and I have been trying to alert all you guys to particularly informative articles about AfPak, and there have been some in the NY Times. We both posted on Apr. 20th (access through the April archives at the right) but both appeared late, like 5 days late. She alerted us to Afghanistan, I did Pakistan. You can still access both and both are still germane to out present issues. The article she cited was about fighting in the Korangel Valley and the one I cited was about how the history and culture of Pakistan has contributed to the present situation. If you haven't already, please check them out.

The Times has followed up on both. On Fri. 5/1 there was a piece "Training Afghans as Bullets Fly: A Young Marine's Dream Job" again about combat in the Korangai Valley. Today's Times (Mon. 5/4) has 2 important articles on the front page: "Pakistan Strife Raises U.S. Doubt on Nuclear Arms" and "Islamic Schools in Pakistan Fill a Void, While Fueling Militancy" The Nuclear Arms article is particulary important since they are the crux of our Pakistan problem.

Take care all-

Hi Brian:

Just finished reading your post and the links to the issue of replacing Souter.  It appears there are some very good candidates and I believe Obama has a huge decision to make.  I am sure he will not take this lightly and hopefully the right choice with be made.  Thanks for the links, they were ver interesting reading.

Looking forward to the broadcast tonight.

I'm sorry this is a different topic--my 25 year old, a third year chem grad student at U of Arizona, Tuscon, called today--he has the flu asked what he should do--love it when they still need you. At my request he asked them to take a culture or a serum sample-- they refused saying that they are not sending any more samples--as they say in the service what the F is going on?  

Brian,
You are normally so good at informing listeners about firsts that happen within the Washington elite. We have heard every minute detail about the Obama family and on the day of President Obama's 100 day anniversary, a former president had a first. Former President Bush 43 raised $100 million dollars for his library. He is the first president to acheive this milestone. Not bad for the most hated president ever.

Mr. Jeffery Zucker will not allow you to post this message but I enjoyed writing it anyway!
Regards,

Good Evening Mr.Williams, A fine broadcast this evening. First of all the report by Mr.Bazell concerning the swine flu outbreak seems to be leveling off, but one shouldn't say we are out of the woods just yet. It was good to learn the students returned to St.Francis High School after some had been ill. The scientists have learned much about the illness and will continue to take prepared measures even though for now the worst may have passed.
The report by Mr.Sanders certainly showed soome improvement in the area because many businesses that were closed are now re-opening.
Many positive signs happening and one hopes it continues.
On another note the report by Mr.Mott about the stormy weather in the South told of many severe thunderstorms with high winds. The last few evenings in the Atlanta area there have been many weather alerts. Thankfully, it is calm now this evening. Very sad what happened it Texas at the football training facility due to the tornado.
The report by Mr.Maceda from Afghanistan about the drug war showed how this is a never eneding battle to confiscate the drugs. Seeing the soldiers going from one compound to another trying to find the drugs does seem frustrating battle, but when they did find the bags if drugs stashed in the hole it was a great find and keeps it causing harm to people. A tough task for these soldiers in a very chaotic region.

The "Making A Difference" segment by Rehema Ellis showed how a community really came together to make the dream of going to the prom possible for so many girls. The dresses being donated along with acessories, shoes, etc is a great idea. And the businsses donating things too is great. Those dresses were really pretty and the girls seemed so excited. Making it possible to attend the prom for those who might not have been able to afford to go. Nice piece!

Thank You for the broadcast Mr.Williams. Peace to You and to All!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine,Anna,Lori,Cary and Matt!
Be Well Always!
Stay Extra,Extra Safe and Well Richard!
XOXO

Evening, Brian! Thank you for a great broadcast tonight, as usual.

I'm sorry to say I will be missing your broadcast and possibly your post tomorrow evening on your birthday, as I will be stuck in John Paul Jones Arena waiting for Bruce Springsteen to come out on stage! Being my first ever concert experience, I'm very nervously excited. I'll be going with my uncle, and will hopefully run into an old friend and her mother (who are both New Jersey natives and long time fans themselves). I obviously can't say I'm complaining of course, but as a faithful viewer I do hate missing a broadcast.

Happy Birthday Brian!! May you have a very happy 50th with all your friends and family! Also just to let you know, 50 is the new 30 or so, especially in your case. Honest, you could fool us all.

Knowing you are a longtime huge fan of Bruce Springsteen, and with it being on your birthday, I wanted to share with you my first ever concert experience.

Also, when I go to wash my hands at any certain point tomorrow and start singing "Happy Birthday" as Dr. Nancy Snyderman suggests...I'll add your name in there, haha.

Thank you for the broadcast tonight!
Take care and have a wonderful Birthday!
-Cary

Hi Brian.

Great broadcast as usual.  Glad to hear that the flu is on the downside but we really need to continue to be careful and take precautions to not get this or spread this.  But I have to admit the reports you've provided are encouraging.

I was happy to hear about Obama doing something about the offshore loopholes in tax shelters.  I am hopeful that once it hits Congress they will do the right thing and toughen up on this issue.  

Loved your web story and your report on Michelle Obama.  She is such a classy lady.  It was not surprising that she thought her best job was being a mom.  It's a tough job for all of us but it is the best job we are gifted with.  After working all day, coming home to our families is the best thing we do each night.  These are hard times but it's a guarantee that each mom out there knows her family comes first and will do everything needed to take care of them - no extra pay required.  We just hope they love us and that love is compensation enough.  We just hope dads know how hard we really do work.

Very sad story about our seniors not getting the Social Secuirty cost of living.  Of all that need this each year it is our seniors.  They do not get that much as it is and with the high cost of living and medications in this staggering economy, they are the ones that will have to suffer the most.

Your "Making A Difference" report was so fantastic.  Prom is a very important proces we girls need to participate in while growing up.  It is a very special time.  It ifelt so good to see that even with this very hard economy these girls will still have their dream.  I hope this idea becomes standard with more than just this school.  Again you are leaving us with a great up beat report to end your broadcast.

On a personal side, I know tomorrow is your 50th birthday and I wish you a very, Happy Birthday!!!  I hope your family and friends do something very special for you.  I know they mut be so proud of you.  You should be too.  What you have experienced and accomplished in this first leg of your life is so outstanding.  I hope you know that we, your fans out here, do appreciate you taking all of us along for the ride.  I hope you keep us on board for the next 50 as they should be spectacular.  I hope you take Cary from Virginia's suggestion and write a book.  You are a wonderful writer as we can all see from your posts each day.  Your straight forwardness, truthfulness, hard work and your fantastic sense of humer would make any book you write sesational.  

I can't wait for tomorrows post and broadcast.

Off topic,

I was viewing your report last night and I love your work (trying not to be sycophantic). But last night your report on stay at home moms just hit me sideways... This notion that a stay at home mom's worth is so much more than a working mothers. Did you calculate the fact the working mothers returning home after work have to do the same duties as a non-working mother. Making dinner, shop, do homework with the kids, and put them to bed. Not to mention paying the bills, juggle their kids schedules, making breakfast in the morning and then take those kids to school. and so much more. All while working a 50 hour work week. My wife is very proud of her education and the fact that she is a Prosecuting Attorney for King County. Moreover she is a hell of a role model for my two daughters. She has to deal with stay at home mothers looking down their noses at my her because she "doesn't care about her kids enough" to stay home with them.  Give some credit to the people who have chosen different life paths. It's a lot harder than your story portrayed.

Happy 50th birthday, Brian. Hope you have a wonderful day.

Loved the piece about how much a mother is worth. I checked out the salary calculator and was surprised to see there's no value placed on my job as a milk production facility. I manufacture and dispense milk around the clock. Sometimes, I even bottle it.  That has to be worth some decent compensation. ;-)
"A staggering amount of work" is definitely a good way to describe what goes into mothering. Especially in the early years, as I am discovering. With a 3 month old and a 3 year old, I'm running on empty most of the time. As a stay at home mom, I don't get sick days or lunch breaks or really a single second to myself until well after bedtime (which is why most of my posts here are so late at night!). I'm lucky to have a husband who sees himself as a co-parent, instead of thinking he's doing me a favor by watching the girls from time to time. Without him, I'd probably be found rocking in a corner while muttering incoherently. Women (and men) who are raising kids on their own have my utmost respect.

I had more thoughts to post this evening, but I hear a baby crying, so back to work.

Unbelievable.  Yet again, there was no Nightly News Saturday or Sunday on the east coast.  On Sunday, hockey was obviously more important (translation: more profitable) than news.  And on Saturday, there was no news because of the Kentucky Derby.  Now, the Kentucky Derby is a two-minute race.  But NBC pre-empted Nightly News so they could air three hours of Derby coverage.  Proportionally, that would be the equivalent of airing 360 hours of Super Bowl coverage for a four-hour game (maybe I shouldn't mention that--I don't want to give NBC any ideas).  

NBC's commitment to news is...well, actually NBC has no commitment to news.  They pre-empt the weekend edition of Nightly News so frequently that they might as well abandon it altogether.  Which is why it is so puzzling to hear NBC News president Steve Capus talk about expanding the weeknight edition of Nightly News from a half-hour to a full hour (as he was quoted as saying in the March 9 New York Times business section).  Judging by how often NBC pre-empts the weekend edition of Nightly News, they seem to care little for the broadcast.  Yet, at the same time, they talk of expanding the weeknight edition.  With regard to Nightly News, NBC seems to have multiple personality disorder.  Call it The Three Faces Of Evening News.

Here's an idea for Mr. Capus:  Before he thinks about adding a second half-hour of Nightly News, maybe he should concentrate on filling the existing half-hour broadcast with actual news.  Instead of more ridiculous non-stories about luncheon meat, the board game Clue, kazoos, pink dolphins, dancing parrots, centenarians or twittering, Nightly News could report on the conflict in Sri Lanka or the election in India.  Then Capus could think about adding a second half-hour.  Perhaps Nightly News could fill that second half-hour entirely with "Making A Difference" segments suggested by viewers.  Somewhere out there, there's got to be a barber giving free haircuts or a diner owner providing free meals that Nightly News hasn't yet covered.  Or maybe the second half-hour could be devoted entirely to covering Michelle Obama.  That would certainly free up a lot of space from the first half-hour.  And here's an idea:  If NBC does expand Nightly News to a full hour, maybe they could use a different anchor for the second half-hour, like they do for the fourth hour of Today. I hear that Kathie Lee is available.

In Friday's New York Times business section, we were treated to the following quote from NBC Universal president Jeff Zucker in a story about the relative merits of Hulu vs. Youtube: "Advertisers have made it clear that they want a safe environment unpolluted by videos of cats on skateboards...That has made Hulu the pre-eminent video site."  It's obvious what Zucker was referring to.  Last January 1, Nightly News devoted two minutes and twenty-five seconds of news time to a pair of skateboarding bulldogs.  Clearly, Zucker's quote was intended as a comment on that Nightly News story and on Nightly News in general.  Apparently, Zucker doesn't care for what he sees on Nightly News.  And why should he?  No one likes to be fed a steady diet of fluff stories devoid of news value.  Since Zucker understands that advertisers (and viewers) don't want videos of skateboarding cats (or dogs), why does he allow Nightly News to get away with airing these types of stories?

Which makes me wonder how Zucker must have felt about Thursday's Nightly News, when Brian Williams devoted more than a minute to a dancing parrot and the new tattooed Barbie, while neglecting to even mention the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka or the election in India.  I'm guessing that Zucker didn't exactly tell Brian Williams or the Nightly News producers that they should be proud of their work.

Happy Birthday Brian! Enjoy your day and hopefully you'll be on the air another 50!

Stay young.

What it do B-Wizzle!? Just wanted to holla at my young homie holdin it down in NYC. Good to see you makin that paper and reppin your city. Shake them haterz off (like Katie Couric) and keep it movin like a drive thru. I watch your show every night and I would not feel right getting my news from anyone else. Like Tom Brokaw once said "It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference." I think that defines YOU the best. Peace

Hi Brian:

I know it was late here on the West Coast when I sent my email on your broadcast last night so I am sure it won't get posted for quite a while.  So I thought I would just send a Happy Birthday message to you right now.  Hope you hare having a fantastic day.

The National Review hit piece on Judge Sonia Sotomayor is NOT just a "very tough examination" of her qualities and attributes. The entire piece depends on the comments of nameless sources that can't be independently verified, as they hide behind the very overused wall of anonymity provided by so-called "journalists". Even the author, Jeffrey Rosen, admits "I haven't read enough of Sotomayor's opinions to have a confident sense of them, nor have I talked to enough of Sotomayor's detractors and supporters, to get a fully balanced picture of her strengths". Now THERE'S an understatement.

Also, in response to "justBfair"'s praise for the ability of Bush 43 to raise $100 million in 100 days for his "lie-berry": Just because Bush was able to find some wealthy donors to contribute to the cause doesn't negate the fact that he IS the most reviled president EVER, and most folks wouldn't contribute a dime to anything with his name on it!

Hi Brian, Here's wishing you a very Happy Birthday today, Happy 50th!!  You're exactly 6 months older than me to the day, I'll be 50 on Nov. 5.  1959 was a very good year.  :)

I enjoy watching you every evening, thanks for all you do.  

Many blessings to you,

Janice

P.S.  Psalm 139: 1-18

Happy 50th Birthday, Mr. Williams!!!

Mr Williams,

Interesting piece on the candidate everyone seems to be saying is he front runner to replace Souter. Saying that she is not the smartest judge is somethig that doesn't sound very comforting to me. I even have her as the front runner, but I find it unnecessary to say that the new judge MUST be a woman, or MUST be Hispanic, I think you go with the most qualified or who you feel holds the same views as most Americans at the current time, whatever kind of person that is. I do agree that a womans view may be less represented than a man's view, but I'm not sure that is the major category we should be  defining for a seat on the bench.

I imagine you'll be at the concert on your birthday, so I don't expect to be seeing you on the broadcast tonight. Take care

Happy Birthday, Brian.! And have fun!!!

Good Evening Mr.Williams, A fine broadcast this evening. I am posting again just in case my post from last evening doesn't show up. HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY TO YOU MR.WILLIAMS! I hope you have a wonderful birthday with friends and family. Now on to the broadcast! First of all the report by Mr.Bazell concerning the swine flu outbreak which seems to be leveling off even though caution should be made. It was good to hear the students at St.Francis were returning to classes after so many had been ill. Scientists are continuing to learn more and more about the virus and will be more prepared if anything worsens. Hopefully, the worst has passed.
The report by Mr.Sanders from Mexico City really showed encouraging news because people in hospitals are now able to return home and businesses are re-opening their doors.
On another note the report by Mr.Mott told of much severe weather hitting the Southeast. In the past few days especially over the weekend many weather alerts were made on the local Atlanta stations. Much calmer weather now. Very sad to learn of people hurt at the football training facility in Texas due to the terribly strong winds.
The report by Mr.Maceda from Afghanistan concerning the drug wars seems to be an endless battle for the US troops. Seeing them go from compound to compound trying to uncover where the drugs are hidden proved frustrating for them. Finally, they did find many, many bags buried in a hole, but it still doesn't stop the whole business of selling these drugs. The US troops are doing a fantastic job patrolling the region. God Bless all of them.

The "Making A Difference" segment by Rehema Ellis was really nice. All those prom dresses being donated to the school for girls who might not have been able to attend to prom was great. So many beautiful dresses and the girls looked so excited. Very nice piece!

Thank You for the broadcast Mr.Williams. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! AND MANY,MANY MORE!! Peace to you and to all!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine,Anna,Lori,Cary and Matt!
Be Well Always!
Stay Extra,Extra Safe and Well Richard!
XOXO

Williams Recommends Liberal Reading List on Souter and Successor
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/05/05/williams-recommends-liberal-reading-list-souter-successor

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