web_producer_whitney's Blog

After two great years with FOX 4 and myfoxkc.com, I've decided to leave news and move into the 9-5 "normal people" world!

I accepted a job with Spiral 16 - a software company in Overland Park. My last day at the station will be August 9.  My new gig is super nerdy, but super innovative. I'm really excited to start on Monday (Hi, everyone, if you're reading!)

That said, I am very sad to be leaving my co-workers. They are like army buddies now - especially the weekend crew! Know that when you watch FOX 4 News and read myfoxkc.com, you are experiencing products put together by an incredible group of people.

I also want to thank Rebecca. She took a big chance hiring me just after graduation, and I hope I proved to her that I was worth the risk. She is a great manager and I will miss working for her and with the rest of the Web team!

[Wow, I'm getting a little emotional right now]

As for you, blogosphere, I will miss you guys, too. The conversations with you make our site unique and we love your feedback - good or bad!

I'm not sure when I'll pick up blogging again. Not only do I have the new job, but I'm starting to teach Jazzercise classes and I'm moving in a few weeks.

You can keep up with my new adventures by following me on Twitter!

It's been real. Thanks for the memories.

Whit

It took me six months, one pair of tired aerobics shoes, tons of painful muscle cramps and numerous showers... but...

I PASSED MY JAZZERCISE INSTRUCTOR AUDITION!


[I have some dirt on my shoulder, could ya brush it off for me?]

I usually make people mad when I say things like this but... The Pine Tar Incident happened before I was born (not my fault!)

That doesn't mean I can't enjoy it like everyone else!

Start voting for Lawrence!!!!!!!!!!11!!1

My dad and I went to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Sprint Center on Tuesday night. What an amazing show! These guys definitely still have it going on.

First - I'm so happy I got to go with my dad. I don't see him often, since he lives in Omaha. Luckily we are both willing to go great lengths for great music. Our father/daughter concerts include The Who, The Pretenders, ZZ Top and Ted Nugent. I've noticed during shows that we both air guitar with our right hands at the same places in the music. DNA is amusing.

Let me tell you, if Tom Petty isn't high 24/7, he sure does a great job faking it. There were a few moments I thought he was going to say "forget this, let's do another j and hit up Chubby's." I think the crowd would've been OK with that, since a giant weed cloud formed during "Mary Jane's Last Dance" (not that I'd know what that smells like. Hi, Mom!)

Petty still has that insane Fraggle Rock beard, which looked very itchy.

Here's the set list:

1) You Wreck Me
2) Listen to Her Heart
3) Won't Back Down
4) Even The Losers
5) Free Fallin'
6) Mary Jane's Last Dance
7) Sweet William
8) End of the Line (Traveling Wilburys)
9) Breakdown
10) Saving Grace
11) A Face in the Crowd
12) Learning to Fly
13) Don't Come 'Round Here No More
14) Refugee

Encore
1) Runnin' Down a Dream
2) Mystic Eyes
3) American Girl


P.S. They charged $40 per t-shirt at the merch table. Lame.

... but it is.

Former Memphis Tiger and second-round draft pick Joey Dorsey was ejected from a summer league game against the Wizards the other day.

Dorsey wasn't even playing. He was bench-warming after he rolled his ankle.

Chill pill, Joey. Summer league is lame.



Props to Laura for sending me this one.

I saw "The Dark Knight" on IMAX last night! Without ruining anything... here's my review:

While a few scenes drag on, the plot is pretty solid and the special effects are breathtaking. "The Dark Knight" leaves behind the comic book feel of past Batman movies and takes you on an intense, terrifying trip to Gotham City. Definitely NOT for kids.

The chemistry between Heath Ledger and the rest of the cast is insane. The script is great, but he turns it up to 11.
 
Ledger makes anyone else who played The Joker look like they were in a bad high school production of "Pippin."

For the first time, I felt like The Joker was a true villain. A very sinister, monstrous character... yet he provides much of the movie's comic relief. Ledger threw in fresh character details that had the entire theater giggling. It's genius.

Aaron Eckhart does his best work since "Thank You For Smoking" as Harvey Dent/Two Face. He could easily grab a supporting actor Oscar nod.

Christian Bale is a great Batman... and he's SMOKIN' HOT. There's one part where he takes off his shirt - gratuitous eye candy for the ladies. When he's not in Batman gear, he's in custom-made Armani suits. So pretty. [sigh]

Shawn and Russ each gave "The Dark Knight" 5-5 popcorn bags in the Screening Room (watch their review). I have to agree with them. This is the best movie I've seen all year.

One of my dearest friends, Andrew Zellmer, has a print featured in West Elm stores right now.

He and I grew up next door to each other, and have been friends for 22 years!

Some of my best memories are of us hanging out as kids.

Andrew is an incredibly talented artist. I used to get cranky because he could draw better than me. Meh! (cut to 4-year-old Whitney being fussy over sidewalk chalk pictures)

Buy this print, so he can get lots of money!

“The word of God and the Lord’s power saved. He sent the bullet into the watermelon.”

Yeah - I'm a girl who likes video games. This movie trailer makes me happy (Mark Wahlberg isn't so bad either...)

Bravo TV is obviously mad at the Weinstein Co. for taking Project Runway to Lifetime.

Lack of publicity and a yawner of a premiere showed that Bravo could care less about Season 5. Thanks for ruining it for the fans, Hollywood.

Despite that I was disappointed with the premiere, I'm very glad the weird rain coat guy was auf'd.

Look at that thing to the right! I love the model's expression... she's thinking "Seriously? I'm on Project Runway wearing a shapeless operating room outfit?"

Hopefully angry trash bag girl (Stella) is next, because I can't handle her leggings/underwear pants thing she seems to wear every day.

No clear front-runners yet, since the first challenge was at a grocery store, but I have a feeling I will hate Tan-asaurus Rex (Blayne) and like the Seminole (Kenley) and Italy (Jennifer).

Poor quality, for sure, but the movie looks great!

Can't wait for Friday @ 10:10!

This is precious. And just FYI, I can't pass level "medium" on this song on Rock Band. Pete (brother) made me be the singer on Friday. Fail.

Sometimes I totally geek out about my job. Today is one of those days...

Knowing my equally-if-not-more geeky friend Ramsey would be camping out to buy the iPhone 3G, I asked him to do a little reporting for me - something he was doing anyway for his own blog.

He sent me some great pictures of the lines outside the Apple Store on the Plaza, photos of his shiny (and so far unusable) phone and contributed a video blog.

Around 5 a.m., I sent out a Tweet to my followers: @KC Tweeters - if you're camping out for iPhones, email pics/videos to whitney.mathews@foxtv.com!

A few minutes later, I received pics from Adam Coomes, who was in line at Zona Rosa.

Early in the afternoon, high school friend Zack Claar saw my message and IMed me with info about his locked up first-generation iPhone.

Because of their contributions, we had unique local coverage for a national story.

I love that solid user-submitted content adds so much to online news! (begin geek-out)