New Page Uniform Selected...

As you know America was given the chance to decide what NBC Pages will wear from now on. Well, the decision is in and it all went down on the Today Show this morning...



Not my favorite choice, but a good one. I think it is a very sharp look for the pages. I will miss the old and ugly blues. I am only disappointed that future pages will not have to lead tours dressed like a Mall Security Guard. Hey, if I had to do it, so should they!

If it Bleeds, we can PAY it...

I had an interesting experience this morning on my way to work. Many of you may know, that I donate my blood plasma one to two times a week, for a little extra money to help pay the bills. I started doing this when I was a poor NBC Page trying to survive in the expensive city that is Los Angeles. The process is a pretty simple one. I show up, sit down, they stick a I.V.-looking needle in my arm, and a machine pumps out my blood. It then separates the plasma from the red blood cells and returns the red blood cells to my body and stores the plasma in a plastic bottle. And they pay me for that. It might sound kind of gruesome, but it is actually VERY easy.

Now you're probably wondering what Blood Plasma is exactly? It is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. It makes up about 55% of total blood volume and let me tell you, it is valuable too. If our bodies had anything in it that could be compared to gold, plasma is it. They pay me $75 dollars a visit, and I can go up to twice a week. So I can potentially pull in about $150 a week for doing nothing.

Anyway, with that explanation out of the way, let me get to my experience. After my plasma appointment today, as usual, they wrapped up my right elbow with gauss and tape and sent me on my way. As I was driving to work, I felt an unusual sensation on my right arm. I looked down and my elbow was covered in blood. The strange sensation I was feeling was the warm, sticky fluid oozing out and running down the length of my forearm. My initial reaction was panic (but that was only because I didn't want to get any on my white shirt), but after further investigation, I found that whatever was bleeding had stopped. It didn't help that I noticed all this while I was driving on a busy LA highway, in heavy traffic to boot. Thankfully, I have suffered several horrendous injuries in my life time, so I am not weakened at the sight of blood and this experience was not traumatic, just more of an inconvenience. The bleeding had stopped long before I noticed my arm, so bleeding to death was not the concern, keeping the life-sustaining-fluid off my clothing was. Apparently fortune was smiling upon me today, for I did not get one single drop of blood on my nice white shirt. After all, the last thing I want to do is show up to work looking like I just gutted a cow (for you Megan). I did however learn a valuable lesson today, don't bleed and drive. It's too distracting to focus on the road.

You can see a bandage covering the spot on my elbow that was the source of my little episode.

Page Uniforms on NBC's Today Show...

If you missed it, here were the nominees for new NBC Page Uniform...


Personally, I think they should stick with the blue suit.

Changing the look of the NBC Page Forever?

There is a change that will be taking place in the next couple of days that I haven't decided if I like of dislike yet. Apparently, NBC has decided to change the traditional uniforms for the long running NBC Page Program. Since NBC began the Page Program in 1933, the uniform has for the most part remained unchanged. But that could all change next week (March 24, 2008). During a segment on the TODAY Show, America will vote on what the next Page uniform will look like. Apparently, Brooks Bros. has designed three different uniform variations for the east and west coast Page programs and America will get the chance to decide which outfit they like best. So be sure to tune in and do your part.

The reason I am torn on this event is mostly because of the rich history behind the Page Program. I am a purest and I would like to see the current uniform remain. It is such an honor to be selected as a Page. Thousands apply to be a page every year, but only a select few are given the opportunity to be a page. And I feel lucky to be included in this fraternity of sorts. And you know that deep down I really won't care what Pages are wearing, I will always remember my year as a page and all the wonderful experiences and people I met in the program. I just want future Pages to have the same amazing experience that I had. Long live the NBC Page.

Phil, Tom, ME and Larry Working the ROSE BOWL PARADE 2007