Before Arranging Playdates, Ask About Guns

Read my article HERE about keeping your child safe before they visit a neighbor's house and watch 20/20 tonight (4/10/09) about gun safety.

"But after months of visits, it did come as a surprise to Stephen's mom, Carol, that Robbie's dad, Jan, kept handguns in his home for protection.

"Stephen's been going to Jan's house to play with Robbie, and I had no idea Jan even had guns," Carol admitted. "It just never came up as a conversation."(More...)

Watch ABC News Tuesday Night 10pm - Bounty Hunter - What Would You Do!

You’re at a fruit stand. A Bounty Hunter asks you to help him capture a fugitive… What Would You Do? Watch a story I helped produce tonight on ABC - 10pm.

Go here: http://alturl.com/uxk and make sure to comment. Watch a clip.

Twitter my reporter and tell him what a great job I did:
http://twitter.com/johnquinonesABC

Watch Tonight: What Would You Do? ABC TV @ 10PM

Tune in Tuesday night – 10pm – ABC News: What Would You Do?
I co-produced the final segment in the hour about going to the beach.

You’re at the Beach… A woman gets up leaving her iPod behind… It gets stolen… What Would You Do? What if she was annoying to you? What if she was flirting with your wife?

That's the scenario we put to the test and the results are part of tonight's show.

(I am the thief for the first part of the show and it’s my iPod that gets stolen :-)

Spread the word. Make a comment. Take a look at a promo here: http://tinyurl.com/cqre5m

Twitter my Correspondent John Quinones and let him know how well I did: JohnQuinonesABC

I'm sad to learn that a very nice woman I did a story on was in a car accident this week. My thoughts are with Lee Redmond in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Woman's record-length fingernails broken in crash
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Salt Lake City woman who was in the Guinness Book of World Records for her long fingernails has had them broken off in a car accident. Lee Redmond sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries in the Tuesday accident. Redmond was the current Guinness record holder, with nails that hadn't been cut since 1979. Her nails measured a total of more than 28 feet long in 2008, with the longest nail on her right thumb at 2 feet, 11 inches, according to the Guinness Web site. Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson said she was ejected from an SUV in the crash and taken to the hospital in serious condition.

ABC News 20/20: Guinness Record Holders: Smallest Waist and Longest Nails

SLIDE SHOW: 'How Do You Sleep?' and World's Smallest Waist and Nailing a World Record

Extreme Measures: The Smallest Waist and the Longest Fingernails

My dad is going to the Inauguration in case of emergency

ELTON STRAUSS, MD, has been selected by the Department of State as a member of an elite team of trauma specialists to care for any orthopaedic surgical emergencies during the inauguration of president-elect Obama, in Washington, DC, January 18 through 20

Dr. Strauss is Chief of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and has been a member of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) since it's inception six years ago. He looks forward to bringing his abilities to the nation’s Capitol.

“Because of the expected record-setting crowds, our team is being deployed from throughout the Northeast so we will be in position in case there is a need for emergency medical care,” explained Strauss.

“It will be exciting to witness this historic inauguration in person. We’ll be out there with the masses, in our government issued uniforms, in the cold, eating our MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat), and ready to help if called on.”

The population of Washington, DC is expected to swell by the addition of over 2 million visitors for the inauguration festivities; Dr. Strauss and the rest of a 40 member International Medical Surgical Response Team (IMSuRT) will be mobilized to provide a 60 bed field hospital in the event of a mass casualty event. The temporary hospital will be located on The National Mall.

The complexity of today’s mass casualty incidents has increased the need for specialists in disaster care. The NDMS responded to this need by creating rapidly deployable world-class medical/surgical teams for the treatment of disaster victims under the sponsorship of the US Government (Department of Health and Human Services).


Contact Information
Mount Sinai Newsroom
Telephone 212-241-9200
Email NewsMedia@mssm.edu

War on "Honica"

Occasionally as a Producer at ABC News Magazines I write to people in jail. I inquire about hearing their side of the story and sometimes request a meeting. Few prisons allow on camera interviews and many inmates see little benefit of speaking to the media. Most of my letters sent on ABC letterhead go unanswered.

So, I was initially surprised to learn that my requests live on well past our interest in the story. My attempts at printed persuasion are passed from inmate to inmate as reading material - year after year - along with my salutation and return address that was meant for another.

The newly inspired inmates send me respectfully worded ramblings. Some notes arrive hand-written and some typed, but they often follow the same rhyme and flow; declaring their innocence, inviting me to follow up with someone on the outside and often sending me blessings.

Today I received a note from such a stranger and at the end of the note - after the part about being innocent - I was wished "Merry Christmas or happy Honica. (SIC)"

I have some advice for future inmates writing to journalists. Because Hanuka /Hanukkah / Chanukah can be spelled multiple ways correctly (and incorrectly) and because sometimes the choice between Christmas or Chanukah can be answered many ways (ONE/NEITHER/BOTH) I suggest we all wish each other Happy Holidays and call it a day.

Parallels Tech Support Works

Computer tech support departments historically blame problems on the user, deny the problem is their fault (contact your computer maker) or re-direct the user to unhelpful online literature. That is why I would like to give a gold star to the team at Parallels for admitting to me my problem was real and having their developers fix it!

Parallels ($49.99 at Amazon) makes software that allows you to run Windows on your Mac. I had a friend who set up webcams at his house and the software that came with it (Nubix Eclipse Security) required an Active X component. Active X only runs in Internet Explorer and only on a PC. We set up Parallels in a flash, installed Windows XP, downloaded the Active X component, connected to the webcams three states away and .... Black screen. Parallels could not render the images even though they could be seen on a physical PC. (For the record VM Ware's Fusion could not render the images either.)

I wrote to technical support and expected to be dismissed. There were some standard suggestions about checking security settings and some other back and forth that might have been helpful to non-advanced computer users, but I knew this was a limitation of the software.

Imagine my surprise when I was told the issue was confirmed by the technicians and that the developers would work on the problem and repair it in the next free update. I waited a few weeks, and when I was notified I downloaded the free update and my problem was fixed. Operational Active X Nubix webcam software on an iMac running Windows XP with the help of Parallels 4. Thank you.

Perfect Gift - ConfettiCakes Cookbook For Kids

Buy my sister's new baking book. Great for a kid interested in baking or a parent who wants to bake with or for kids…

Confetti Cakes For Kids: Delightful Cookies, Cakes, and Cupcakes from New York City's Famed Bakery (Hardcover)
Elisa Strauss is the founder and head designer of Confetti Cakes in New York City. A former designer for Ralph Lauren, Strauss is famous for her imaginative and elaborate cakes. Her work has been featured in dozens of magazines, as well as on Good Morning America, the Today show, Martha: The Martha Stewart Show, The View, and the Food Network.

Special link at Amazon.com for 30% off ($19.79): http://tinyurl.com/cc4kids
Buy directly from Elisa and get an autographed copy and shipping ($24): http://confetticakes.com/books/books.html
Barnes & Noble or Dylan's Candies for $29

So, if I've ever fixed your computer, made you laugh on a gloomy day, or taught you how to shoot with a DV cam please support the Strauss family and buy Elisa's book.


From yesterday's Daily News:
Cost of a child's custom-made birthday cake: Hundreds of dollars. Cost of making it from scratch: Much less. Look on your child's face when she sees your creation: priceless. And Elisa Strauss , owner of an Upper West Side cake design café/bakery, leads you through every step of the mostly painless process in her new book, "Confetti Cakes for Kids" (Little Brown $29).

ABC News: iChat or You Drive

Chit, Chat or iChat
Video Chats Are Simple, Fun and Accessible
By ERIC M. STRAUSS
Nov. 27, 2008

It's holiday time and, for many of us, that means family visits. Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go -- unless the economy is in the tank, and grandma is an expensive plane ride away... (MORE)

Confetti Cakes on The Today Show

Watch my sister Elisa Strauss talk about her new book "Confetti Cakes for Kids"

Watch the video here.

Here is the recipe from The Today website.

ConfettiCakes has a newly designed website and Elisa has been blogging a lot recently HERE.

Elisa on the Rachael Ray Show

My sister was on the Rachael Ray Show today 10/3/08. She is super cool and awesome.

See The Video Here:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/rach-rescue-hits-kansas-city/

Enter to win a copy of Elisa's upcoming book.
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/club/giveaways/confetti-cakes-kids/

ABC News: Mac or PC, Incentives Abound for Students

By Eric M. Strauss

With just two weekends left before school starts Heintzman has modest plans of hanging out with friends, eating sushi and taking a drive with her father, Mark, to an Apple store to make that one last purchase.

She usually makes her electronics purchases at Best Buy, but this time a perfect storm of educational savings and promotions is too strong for her to ignore, including a rebate to cover an iPod Nano ($199) or a widescreen iPod Touch ($299) with the purchase of a Mac through Sept. 15, an educational discount and a tax-free weekend. (More...)

My Friends Are Heros

My friend from work Joan Lefosse donated her kidney to our friend Ani Mozian-Whitney. Read about it below.

Please Watch: "Kidnapped Cousins"

ABC News PrimeTime Crime - "Kidnapped Cousins" - July 16th, 2008 - 10PM

A story I have worked on for a while will air this Wednesday night on ABC @ 10pm. Please watch it, blog about it, tell your family and friends. It's an important and compelling story about domestic trafficking of minors.

PrimeTime gained exclusive access to the story of two young victims; Middle-American teen cousins Carol (14) and Kimberly (15) on their way to buy milkshakes, who end up kidnapped off of Toledo, Ohio's, Main Street and into a world of forced sex with men for money.


Viewers will hear first-hand of the terrifying abduction, the militaristic training and seasoning period, and eventually the dramatic rescue of one cousin and the terrifying journey to save the other.


Federal and Local authorities explain how these predatory pimps operate loosely held networks from typical residential communities to our nation's highways. PrimeTime brings you unprecedented access to interviews, 911 calls, interrogation videos, and a truck-stop sting operation in order to bring you inside the unimaginable world of domestic sex trafficking.

I was able to do a lot of the auxiliary shooting myself. Look for time-lapse shots and additional B-roll shot by me.

Special Thanks: FBI SA Mike Beaver, University of Toledo sociologist Dr. Celia Williamson, Cumberland County DA's Office and Washtenaw County's (Michigan) Sheriff Daniel Minzey and Commander Dave Egeler.

READ A TEASE HERE

READ A DETAILED ARTICLE HERE
WATCH VIDEO HERE
WATCH VIDEO ABOUT TRUCK STOPS HERE
READ A REVIEW IN THE NY POST HERE
WATCH A TEASE BELOW:

EJ and EMS Breaking Glass

Assy McGee Staring Jason Potts

My buddy Jason Potts was recently the voice of a barber in an offensive, but funny adult cartoon called Assy McGee.

You can buy the 11 minute episode (#14 Hands Up) for $1.99 HERE

No Drinking and Voting

As I was passing through Cincinnati's Airport (which is actually located in Kentucky) I saw this funny sign. Seems in Kentucky they don't serve alcohol on the day of elections. Jake Tapper posted my photo on his blog at ABC News.com

Political Punch

How to make a sculpted dog cake in 4 minutes

You have to see my sister's time-lapse video creating a dog out of cake for my dad's birthday party.

See it here on YouTube.

"Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes sculpted her dad's labradoodle for his birthday. For more information, please visit http://confetticakes.blogspot.com/"

Happy Mother's Day

I've posted a few tech gift ideas for Mother's Day. Check them out:
Save Parents' Digital Heirlooms With a Time Capsule

Kodak EasyShare 5300: Print Pictures at 50 Percent Less Than Competition

TomTom 920 GPS Finds Cheapest Gas

Happy Birthday: Elton Strauss is 60

The votes are in and it has been confirmed that I have the best Mom and Dad in North America. My Dad turned 60 last week and we had a couple fun parties for him. My sister made him two amazing cakes in the shape of his favorite child (his dog). I made him a slide show with the new iMovie application that you can watch here, or below.

Here are some photos from his surprise party.

Health Goes High Tech

by Eric M. Strauss
ABC News
...Most people don't leave the house without their cell phones, which gave tech startup Confidant an idea: Use mobile phones as powerful databases and liaison to health care professionals for patients with chronic diseases.

"After you start dealing with it you realize it really stinks. You need to incorporate it into your routine. Diet and exercise now become life and death," Leinart said. "You have to develop a positive attitude or it will take you over. You realize quickly it's not going to go away." ... (Read the article at ABCNews.com)

Tim Stevens at Switched read my article. Thanks.

See more article I've written on ABCNews.com here.

20/20 Tonight: Weather Myths

ABC News 20/20 - Friday, April 18 at 10 p.m.
Tonight we have an interesting show about the myths and truths about wild weather. I was able to travel to Gainesville, Florida with Sam Champion to meet the nation's expert on lightning, Dr. Martin Uman.
Watch as he tells us how he can create lightning and spells out what you need to know about it.

Confetti Costs

For those that ask me if my sister will make them a cake for their Birthday... I hope you have wealthy parents.
See this article for the reason why.

"Elisa Strauss' Confetti Cakes created this $1,500 Coach bag-themed cake for a 10-year-old girl's birthday party."

While you are at it check out Elisa's new blog and let her know what you think about it. http://confetticakes.blogspot.com/

ABC 20/20 Tonight: Intervention

Please tune in to 20/20 tonight for a story I've been working on about drug interventions with Daniel Baldwin. It's an idea that came out of our very successful hour last summer about Daniel's struggles.

ABC News 20/20 Friday, March 28th, 2008 10-11pm

Read my article here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4543817&page=1
Video preview here: Lessons Learned from Daniel Baldwin
Eamon's Journal Entry: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4537761&page=1

Addiction has touched Hollywood's Baldwin Family as well. Last year, actor Daniel Baldwin allowed Cynthia McFadden to follow his progress through drug rehabilitation. In a new interview, Baldwin talks about how he is doing today. Is he winning the battle?

And because of Baldwin's experience with rehab and sobriety, he says he wants to "give back to others." He helps facilitate an actual intervention to try to get a young man to turn his life around. Will Baldwin be successful in saving this young man's life? "20/20" is there to document.

20/20 Show on Prostitution

We've been working on a series of programs about the real world of prostitution for two years. Tonight (March 21, 2008) we will have a 2 hour program on some of the exploitation involved. Please watch. ABC 9-11pm

I specifically worked on the parts about the undercover stings and the pimp culture. (Parts 2 and 4)

Prostitution Stings
Online video
Online resources to end the exploitation
John's School

MacBook Air Review

MacBook Air: Sexy, Skinny as a Supermodel
by Eric M. Strauss
"Carrying around Apple's MacBook Air is like dating a supermodel: She's going to turn heads with her beauty, she'll improve your self-confidence, and you can go everywhere together — from crowded nightclubs to cramped airplane flights. You'll be happy in the end, but there's sure to be a friend who just doesn't approve."
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=4421038&page=1

Take a look inside a New Yorker's $500,000 Home Theater

ABCNews.com's Eric M. Strauss, speaks with a high powered exec who turned to Goldmund, the same people who announced the $17,000 Blu-ray player this week, to create a half-million dollar home theater in his NYC home. By Eric M. Strauss

read more | digg story

Kathy Griffin is Funny

Kathy Griffin is hysterical live. If you have the chance you should go.

ABCNews.com Article

Porn Industry Still Struggles With Condom Issue
At Annual Conference, Optional Condom Policies Called Into Question
By Eric M. Strauss

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AIDS/story?id=4130615&page=1

See some video here:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4132676

CES 2008: Day 2 by Eric M. Strauss

CES 2008: A Driverless SUV Gives a Tour of the Future

VIDEO CES 2008: The SUV That Drives Itself

CES 2008: Day 1 Articles by Eric M. Strauss

2008 CES: New Generation Remotes Ready to Bring Peace

2008 CES: Tech Goodies off the Beaten Path

CES 2008: Sony OLEDs

At CES 2008. I just saw the first thing I would really like to have. I'm at the Sony Press Conference and they just introduced an 11" OLED super slim TV set $2500. It's only the thickness of 3 credit cards. 11" is kinda small though. Sony will be the first to sell OLED displays in the US. They have a 27" one in their booth as a prototype and Samsung has a 31" prototype.

At the press conference before introducing Sony's super slim 11" Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer said,
"All of us at Sony are feeling a bit blue today (big chuckles), but that's a good feeling. Along with WB decision to support Blu-Ray I want to thank Bob Iger at Disney and Rupert Murdoch at Fox for being true blue from the start"

Warner Brothers decided to stop putting out titles in the HD DVD format and Sony which has a strong interest in the competing Blu-Ray technology must be on cloud nine. -EMS

ABC News 20/20: Guinness World Records

I worked on a fun and surprisingly touching broadcast set to air Friday 11/23/07 at 10pm on 20/20 about the Guinness World Record Book Phenomenon.

I specifically worked on the piece about Guinness By Choice. The world's longest fingernails and world's smallest waist. Lee and Cathie are both lovely women and I am happy for all the success their records have brought them

Check out our article here: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3893475&page=1
Check out a short version of our piece here: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3893432
See slides of the smallest waist: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/popup?id=3897714
See slides of the longest nails: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/popup?id=3897859
Read a bio and more answers about Lee and Cathie: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3906738&page=1

BNL Live DVD

My guys are at it again. If you are a fan of the Barenaked Ladies you have to get the fun DVD / CD combo tour package: "Talk To The Hand" - Barenaked Ladies Live in Michigan

The first-ever LIVE Barenaked Ladies DVD! "Talk to the Hand" Live in Michigan is a tight blend of classics including "One Week," "Pinch Me," and "If I Had $1000000" as well as hits from their recent releases 'Barenaked Ladies Are Me' and 'Barenaked Ladies Are Men." With 15 tracks as well as backstage and sound check footage, this DVD showcases why Barenaked Ladies is one of the world's greatest touring bands. Also includes an audio CD of the same performance. It's really fun. Enjoy.

Holiday 2007 tech gadget gift guide

It's never too early to start shopping for your holiday tech gadget gifts and over at ABCNEWS.com we are starting to post some of our holiday picks.

Here are a few of my early suggestions:

Green gift ideas: iMac, APC Power, 1 Laptop Per Child, Lamp, and Video Game
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=3803350&page=1

iPhone Review
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=3822984

Apple TV
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=3803125

Sling Box
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=3802985

Blackberry Curve:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=3803171

Wii Classic Controller:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=3802953

OtterBox Rugged Phone/PDA Cases:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=3834596

Club Pogo (Online Casual Gaming Service):
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GadgetGuide/story?id=3834586

E+E+B in the Audience

I attended Regis and Kelly Live last week and sat in the front row. Look how excited I was about 50 seconds into the show. Two of my favorite teachers Bridget and Efrat seem even more happy!

Marriott Rewards For You and Me

I love getting rewards for showing loyalty to a company and whenever I travel I try and stay at Marriott hotels. With well over 400,000 reward points now I hope to one day retire and move into a hotel for free :-)

Help me out by signing up for the free Marriott Rewards program, staying at a Marriott and then we will both get bonus points. Yeah bonus points!

Sneezing Revolution