• Memo to the Weather Channel:

Your Texas talking head "Julie" Somebody just interviewed Homeland Czar Chertoff. Last night in anticipation of Hurricane Ike's landfall she looked kind of cute in her eyeliner, blinding lip gloss and neat baseball cap. She almost replaced that Abrams gal as my favorite weather Hottie. But today your coverage was just too, too, too, well, over the top. With high surf pounding and winds whipping, in addition to a new coat of lip gloss (is it Glidden or Dutch Boy that usually suggests 24 hours to dry between coats?), sparkling silver ear rings, newly arched and penciled brows, and that HD-defying rock reflecting from her finger, I couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. By the way, what WAS she saying? I liked your program apology today to the folks in Spokane, Biddeford, and Erie that you were in "emergency" mode for the folks in imminent Ike danger. I'm just not sure that along with the homely shirt and tie in-studio meteorologists. and the average Joe reporters like Phil Cantore, I really understand the Julie Marketing Plan. Are you becoming more Project Runway and less Weather? Are you working with Good Housekeeping or The Learning Channel on a reality series: "What to Wear When Weather Calls?" or perhaps "Modern Meteorological Makeovers" Finally, in all seriousness I hope "Julie" stays safe and if Ike jumps back from Cat 2 to Cat 3 her nails don't get chipped.