March 25th:

Ashley Buffa, a student at Havelock High School, created this touching song to the late Amanda Lawrence-Lane, her math teacher who suffered a medical emergency Friday morning at school and later died.  

"I was a witness to her death, and it was heartbreaking and traumatizing. I had a lot of emotions that I didn't know how to process, and I needed to express them some how. I went home and I wrote this song. It really helped me to come to terms with everything. I hope that this song can help other people too with the deaths of loved ones," Buffa says about the song.  Check out her beautiful tribute below.  

 

 

March 21st:

I’ve said it many times on the air: March is my favorite month, and NCAA tournament time is “the most wonderful time of the year” (cue Andy Williams).  And it might sound a little crazy, but I always thought it would be fun for my kids to pick their own brackets every year - starting with the first year they’re alive!  I hope it turns into a fun “father-sons” tradition, and so far it looks like they’re enjoying themselves!

Sure, I’m not going to ask a 6-week old whether he thinks Gonzaga will be hampered by their strength of schedule, or theorize with a toddler about UNC’s RPI…so I had to come up with other ways to help them fill out a bracket:

James – James picked his favorite mascots.  He liked it when I said “Fighting Irish” and “Golden Gophers,” and unfortunately didn’t care much for Panthers.  Fortunately he liked Hoosiers, but unfortunately, only slightly more than Aggies (#13 seed New Mexico st loses in the finals)…Here are his complete picks:

Wesley was a little trickier:  I had James pick his first brackets at 8 weeks old, when I assigned a team to each of my hands and whichever one he touched first was his pick (he was into fist-bumping back then…hey, we lived in Jersey!).  Wesley’s only 6 weeks old, and hasn't been fist-bumping as of late…so I extended my arms over his left and right sides, assigned a team to each one, and waited for him to touch or kick one of them (see the pic below):

Sometimes it took a while, so we had to poke or tickle him to get things going…Wesley DID pick the Pitt Panthers, so…he stays in the will.  Here are his picks:

Whadaya think:  will your brackets finish ahead of James and Wesley?

YOU STILL HAVE A FEW HOURS LEFT, PRINT OUT A BRACKET HERE AND TRY IT WITH YOUR KIDS!  

********For both boys, I flipped a coin before each pick; for James, “heads” meant the HIGHER SEED would be the first mascot I mention…for Wesley, “heads” meant the HIGHER SEED would be represented by my left arm.  If the coin landed on “tails,” you’d replace HIGHER SEED in that last sentence with LOWER SEED.  I did this because when I first tried it, James seemed to always pick the second thing I said, no matter what…and Wesley was only kicking his right leg for a while.  This prevented a bracket of all favorites or all underdogs for both boys.

 

March 20th:

"PARENTING ISN'T A FULL-TIME JOB."

There.  Now that I've got your attention...

A new study found that the average parent spends 28 hours and nine minutes per week taking care of their family...those are PART-TIME hours, not full-time.

That breaks down to about 8 1/2 hours entertaining the kids, almost 5 hours cooking, 3 1/2 hours doing chores, and less than two hours each on the following things: Making beds, washing up, driving kids to school/activities, helping with homework, running errands, and taking care of pets.

I'm sure you're getting more and more upset as you read this...and you're not alone!  92% of the parents surveyed said that having kids is absolutely a full-time job.  A wonderful one at that, but DEFINITELY a full-time job.  

If you still need convincing that this study is ridiculous, check out this video:

 

March 13th:

Best. Test. Drive. EVER!!!!

 

 

March 12th:

In the debate of "over" vs. "under," are there any clean winners?  Hopefully ALL OF YOU, considering you're actually

USING the stuff!

Personally, I'm an "over" guy, and I think you're kinda weird if you do it the other way.  My parents are "unders," and I never knew why until I confronted them about it this morning:

 

I wonder where along the way I broke free from the ingrained practice of "undering" that I was raised on:  was it a form of rebellion to become an "over" as soon as I went off to college?  I'm not sure, but that sounds like a cool story so let's go with it.

 

Bottom line (heh heh, I said "bottom"), it takes more effort to reach for the toilet paper under and behind the roll, whereas when it comes off the top it's right there for you; you don't have to go rooting around for it.  Why would anyone do it any other way?  Perhaps this handy diagram can help explain it:

 

 

So are you an "over," or an "under?"

 

 

 

March 9th:

Beaufort's Big Shave to Benefit St. Baldrick's Foundation - what a day.

Click the pic above to find out more about the kid to my immediate left, whose name is Scott (his dad is holding him in this pic).  Although I only had a chance to see Scott for a few minutes (he came in as I was leaving), here's what I can tell you about him and his parents:  Scott, a 3-year old who's been battling Leukemia for a year and a half, was in the hospital Friday night with a high fever.  In Cary, NC.  If he didn't show up EVERYBODY would've understood, and kept him in their prayers.  But not only did the family show up, but the entire room seemed to light up  when they did, and Scott was running around like nothing had been wrong just a few hours ago, super-excited to get his head shaved.  

Scott and his family were an inspiration to all who met them today, in a room full of inspiring people; from cancer survivors, to the loved ones who enjoyed every minute of losing every hair on their heads to support the ones they loved.

I was thrilled and honored to be among them all, and to be part of such a wonderful event!  Click here for more pics from a fantastic day.

March 7th:

BREAKING NEWS ABOUT BRUNO MARS' FINGER - AND IT'S NOT EVEN BROKEN!

March 5th:

Last week Wesley had a cold – the whole family had a cold and Wesley ended up kinda congested throughout the whole thing.  Poor guy, he pretty much looked stunned like this the whole time and snorted whenever he breathed in. 

I was talking to Colleen about it, and about how he was SO congested, it didn’t really help even when we used the “nose-sucker” thingy on him.  You know what I’m talking about, that suction-nozzle thing you squeeze, stick up a baby’s nose and stop squeezing, so the suction pulls out all the boogers…one of these:

Well, Colleen just about fainted when I mentioned the nose-sucker!  She told me she couldn’t ever bring herself to do it with her son Dakota, and instead had her husband do it all the time.  Fast-forward to Friday, and I was talking to Tracy in the traffic dept about our family cold, I mentioned the nose-sucker and she had the SAME REACTION!!!

Do all women cringe at the nose-sucker?  Hey, put things into perspective, it could be worse - click the ridiculously disgusting pic below to see just how worse!

 

March 1st:

JEWEL IS CEWEL!

Singer/Songwriter/Famous Alaskan Jewel checked in this morning, check out the interview here:

I knew she could sing, but I had NO idea she had some comic chops!  Check out these Funny Or Die videos, she's hilarious in both of them!

 

 

February 28th:

Check out this story on Mitchell Marcus, the team manager for his Texas high school's basketball team who also has a developmental disability.  The team's coach surprises all when he gives Mitchell the chance to suit up for the game, and puts him in at the end...unfortunately, each chance he has to score, and to make an incredible memory, he misses.  But you'll never guess what happens next - have some tissues handy too!

 

 

---

What a cool website – it uses surveys to determine everything you ever wanted – or didn’t want – to know about the stereotypical fan of your favorite artist!  For instance, did you know that Katy Perry fans are the LEAST likely to kiss on the first date?  Lol, click Katy smooching below to look up your favorite artist!

February 27th:

MORE DANCING!

February 26th:

February 25th:

Sure you saw the Oscars last night, but did you ever see the Best Picture nominees reenacted by adorable little kids?  

February 22nd:

 

Oscar weekend is upon us!  And in case you don't remember every single Best Picture winner in the history of ever, here's a quick and awesome refresher: 

 

 

February 21st:

BEAUFORT FIRE'S "BIG SHAVE" SUPPORTING THE ST. BALDRICK’S FOUNDATION!

(or:  If a man shaves his head...but there's barely anything to shave...does it make a sound?  YES!)

Click on my balding dome to find out why it's soon becoming a COMPLETELY bald dome, and how you can help out!

*DIRECT LINK TO DONATE HERE

And for even MORE info, click the play button below to check out my interview with Richard Evans of the Beaufort Fire Department:

February 19th:

And The Grammy Will One Day Go To...

Thank goodness for technology - anybody can become a star!  Last June I brought you James' first hit song, courtesy of the "Songify" app on my iphone - it records your voice, auto-tunes it and puts you in a song!  I hit record, walked up to James - who was playing with two of his toy trucks at the time - and asked him "Whatcha got there James?"  And the rest, as they say, is music history.  Behold, "Two Twucks:"

And this past weekend I got Wesley into the act - here he is, at 3 weeks old, with HIS first hit single!  Sure, he doesn't know any words yet...but he certainly knows how to hiccup.  I give you:  "Two 'ccups:"

I'm sure they'll get to work on their Grammy acceptance speeches as soon as A) Wesley can talk and B) Jake And The Neverland Pirates is over.

 

February 15th:

Did you know it's illegal to curse in New Bern!  What the f&@% is up with that?!?!  This guy found out the hard way, click the pic for his story and a hilarious video!

February 14th: 

Have a slow and slutty Valentine's Day everyone!

 

 

 

 

February 13th:

Matt Damon's no longer going to the bathroom?!?!?!  It's a STRIKE for a great cause lol, check out why below!

 

 

February 11th:  GRAMMY'S!!!!

Ok, full disclosure; the Grammy's are my FAVORITE awards show, BY FAR…but I’m sick, and you combine that with the fact that we have a new baby in the house so you GOTTA take sleep when you can get it…and I went to bed early and missed most of the show.  HOWEVER, I told some of my buddies to let me know the big stuff that happened last night, so I could talk about it this morning.  So in no particular order, here’s what they had to say:

#1 – Katy Perry’s Cleavage stole the show.

          I think the guy who wrote that was talking about boobs…but how great would it be if that were an actual band name?!?!  The band “Katy Perry’s Cleavage” could’ve stolen the show at the Grammy's last night...think of the possibilities: “appearing tonight at Hooligan’s Music Hall, Katy Perry’s Cleavage” – you CAN’T go wrong!!!!

Upon further review...yeah, he was talking about boobs.  Click the pic to play the video.

Other observations from my buddies: half way through the show most of the lights went out in the place…not sure if THAT’S true…and the lead guitarist from Fun. looks exactly like my old college roommate Wolfster circa 1999 (if he had a mohawk).  Ok, my friends weren’t much of a help.  But you can get the full list of winners here, by clicking on ANOTHER shot of Katy Perry's Cleavage!!

(Please don't ask for my opinions regarding the red-carpet fashions, I'll probably just mention Katy Perry's boobs again.)

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February 1st thru the 7th:  WESLEY!!!!!!!

Wesley Charles Miller
8 pounds, 11ounces
19.5 inches
Born 11:10am on Friday, Feb 1st

Check out a few pics, going back through the past few days!

My favorite pics so far..."Surprised Wesley," and "Angry Wesley!"  I took these two pictures within SECONDS of each other!!

Home From The Hospital:

So proud of James - he's been an AMAZING big brother!  Check out the picture he made for Wesley:

1st Pitt basketball game with daddy (a big upset over Syracuse - he's a good luck charm!):

Day 1:

 

January 31st:

If vegans were upset by this Super Bowl commercial (which Taco Bell pulled due to the negative publicity)...

 

 

 

...imagine what vegans would think about some of these "EXTREME" Super Bowl snacks - click the bacon-covered sausage monstrosity below for the must-have dishes for your party, some of which may contain more than just lettuce lol

January 29th:

ENC's Prognosticating Pets are rolling in!

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the pick from V Listener Deb's dog Zana:

Deb pointed out that Zana's favorite treats were in the 49ers bowl - she's pulling for the Niners so she tried to rig it!!!

Did it work?  NO!!!  RAVENS WAS THE PICK!!!!!

 

January 28th:

ENC’S PROGNOSTICATING PETS UPDATE:  I kicked things off with my fish, check out how I did it and who they're picking to win the Super Bowl! 

 

 

I want to find out who YOUR pets are picking for the Super Bowl - dogs, cats, birds…have your pet make a Super Bowl pick – maybe put a treat in each of your hands, with one hand representing the Ravens and the other hand representing the Niners… Whichever treat gets devoured first will be your pet’s pick to win the Super Bowl!

Take pics or video and send them to me, and call in with your pets' predictions all week!  I'll keep a running tab, to determine "ENC's Ultimate Animal Pick" - and if you want, you can bring your pets into the studio and we'll make their picks live on the air!

 

 

If you missed Adam Levine on SNL, here's a little tease...literally.  Ladies, hang through the monologue until the end.  You're welcome!

 

 

 

January 25th:

ENC’S PROGNOSTICATING PETS!!!

 

I want to find out who your pets are picking for the Super Bowl!

Dogs, cats, birds…have your pet make a Super Bowl pick – maybe put a treat in each of your hands, with one hand representing the Ravens and the other hand representing the Niners… Whichever treat gets devoured first will be your pet’s pick to win the Super Bowl!

Take pics or video and send them to me, and call in with your pets' predictions all week!  I'll keep a running tab, to determine "ENC's Ultimate Animal Pick" - and if you want, you can bring your pets into the studio and we'll make their picks live on the air!

 

January 24th:

Best.  Customer.  Reviews.  EVAR!!!!!!  Click the one below for more...

 

Adam Levine HOSTING Saturday Night Live this weekend! 

 

 

 

January 23rd:

I know it's cold out...but it could be worse.  MUCH worse, as proven in this winter season "fail-tacular:"

 

 

 

January 22nd:

So proud of the big boy you've become, and can't wait to see the big brother you'll be. HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY JAMES!!

 

 

The Inauguration's musical guests stole the show.  Check out a few V artists at the top of their games!

 

 

 

January 18th:

This should hold you over until Sunday's Championship games...

 

 

January 17th:

“Trust Fall?”  More like “Trust FAIL.”

 

 

January 16th:

This is little Benjamin, and yes...that's an electric drill by his head.  It was his Dad's idea (big surprise lol) and apparently he loves it!  Now, naturally this method is not meant to be implemented without supervision (in other words, please don't leave your kid alone with a power drill and then blame this baby's dad when something goes wrong). But it's still impressive - I can't say I'm not considering this for our next one!

 

 

 

January 15th:

Meet Matt December, and click below to find out why you'll never ever forget him, and why church-league basketball will never be the same!

 

 

January 14th:

JAMES' 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!

The way we made them all turn around at once was by saying "hey look at that monkey!!!" It was worth the pic to have kids asking about a monkey for the next 5 minutes.  Click the pic for a few more from James' special day!

January 11th:

Dion?  Log?

 

 

January 10th:

I call this little collection "The Road To Marriage:"  Cheesy starts, bad omens and the greatest FAIL unless you're the prankster (the 3rd video might just be the greatest thing ever!).

 

 

 

 

January 7th:

I think I found the next “Gangnam Style,” and I don't think I'm very proud of it.  But check it out anyway - it's called “One Pound Fish” by Muhammad Shahid Nazir, a Pakistani fishmonger living in Britain.  Last year Nazir created a simple street-side song in order to attract customers to his stand in the Queens Market in London. When a bystander filmed Nazir singing his ditty in April, he experienced a small taste of internet fame after the video went viral.

Warner Music quickly moved in and offered Nazir the chance to record a techno-version of the song and shoot a snazzy/chintzy music video - check it out below!

 

 

 

January 4th:

James ran into a wall (looking back at me: "daddy, daddy, race me down the hallwa-BAM), and he later felt bad that he didn't tell the wall he was sorry. After apologizing to a wall, he read "Green Eggs And Ham" to me, cover to cover. I know we're not perfect parents, but this sequence convinced me that we're doing a few things right.

But back to the whole "running into the wall" thing.  Have you ever had a moment as a parent, where your kid did something that clearly was traumatic for them...but at the same time kinda hysterical?  It happened so quickly, too quick to stop...and I could tell he was ok, no major damage or anything, so it was hard to stifle my laughter.  He literally RAN INTO A WALL.  Part of me wanted to hug him, part of me wanted to go back in time and get a video camera!  Does that make me a bad dad? 

In honor of James' 1st major FAIL, I give you the greatest FAILS  of 2012...enjoy!

 

 

January 1st, 2013:

The 124th Rose Parade provided a surprisingly emotional moment  and a very joyous family reunion.  Miriam Pazz was snapping photos of a float honoring military dogs for her husband, Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Pazz, who she thought was in Afghanistan, when the float came to an abrupt halt and he stepped off the platform in combat boots and camouflage.

What a moment...not a dry eye in my house!

 

 

 

2012 ARCHIVE