NASA screwed up! In a day and age where budgets sway on public opinion, the Colbert Army is a good one to have on your side. These aren’t just your morning drive guys, these are polically motivated 20+ year olds. These are people who actually can make an impact and influence policy.

Now while it looks as if there was no animosity between the two camps, it still proves that Colbert is a force to be reckoned with.

Remember what happened when Colbert wanted to make a point about wikipedia? Where he got people to change information on Elephants. It was big news. In any event, I fail to see a reason why it would not be called the Colbert module. In 10 years from now, are they afraid they would be saying, who is Stephen colbert? Well if he puts the energy and resources onto being their cheerleader then that would not likely happen.

What the fuck was that? The last episode of the Sopranos was great until the last 5 minutes. Do we need to buy the DVD in order to get the last few moments?

Thanks for taking out Phil Leotardo, but come on, why not tell us what happened in the restaurant?

Now tell me why their can’t be another season?

Sailorj!

Read more about the Show at Slate.com, see http://www.slate.com/id/2163797/entry/0/fr/rss/

• What really happened( truth behind Steve Irwins death)


• Steve’s gone with the wind


• Steve Irwin Is Dead D=


• PTKFGS: Jack Hanna Dies in Freak Koala Accident


• The Steve Irwin Song! (different audio)


• His spirit lives on . . . (Upd…


• ( Update!) YTMND Football season begins


• Time for Steves Revenge


• Steve Irwin 20XX


• A Final Tribute to Steve


• komodo dragons on a submarine


• Tasteless


• My Girl Terri Irwin


• Goodbye Steven


• The Ray Didn’t Get Away!


• Irwin’s Omen


• epic irwin maneuver


• Steve Irwin: A great man


• What if Steve Irwin wasn’t Absolutely Sure?

The movie about Edward R. Murrow was an excellent slice into a time period that we seem to have forgotten. Mr. Murrow was quoted as stating,

“We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.”

I think that there is no American soldier on the battle field, no American sailor on the seas that doesn’t feel that they are defending freedom to ensure we have it at home. After all, like it says at the Korean War Memorial in Washington DC, Freedom is not Free! We needn’t go back into our own nation’s history and see what happens when the government begins to operate outside of the rule of law. If there isn’t anything more profound about the witch hunt for communists than the lack of evidence used to attempt to convict and scare people, is the way that the government has consistently ran amuck of our civil rights.

What happened to goverment OF the people, FOR the people, and BY the people. This is our country, while our soliders and sailor fight the good fight, we need to keep up our end of the bargin right here at home, to ensure that the freedoms that they have come to love and respect are still here when they get back.

Good Night and Good Luck!

Probably the greatest part about being 36 years old is that I sit right in the center of Pop Culture. The teenagers and Gen Y’ers don’t, and neither do the folks 5+ older than myself. While we probably take it for granted, we probably are in an enviable position. We saw the original Superman movie with Christopher Reeves as kids in the movie theater.

Superman returns builds right on top of that franchise. This film doesn’t set out to dismiss the legacy of Superman on the screen, tv or the comics. It complements the entire Superman story in a way that has distinquished great stories about great superheros from that of mediocracy.

Here we get to see things much more from the eyes of Superman, Kal El, the man. Sure he’s our hero, and we’re reminded that he’s not from our planet, and yet we are forced to visit his personal humanity. We get to see what makes him a man, albeit a Superman!

Brandon Routh plays a very credible Clark Kent/Superman it was such an awesome choice. He’s the genuine article!

Kate Bosworth is the Lois Lane that I think most people will come to hate. For reasons that aren’t so evident, I think that it must be what the director had wanted. I’m not so sure I liked that, since Lois, the Heroine should be a like-able character. Maybe I’m just spoiled by the fact that I liked Terri Hatcher’s portrayal in the 1990’s TV show.

James Mardsen plays the Lois Lane love interest. His name is Richard White… Do you think that Richard is just a play on words? I thought so the minute I heard the name. And while I thought, how dare the writers play with the underlying love story THAT IS Superman, I thought, ok, lets see where this goes. I’m sure that many folks will catch on even quicker than I did.

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor was marvelous. As a fan of the original Christopher Reeves version with Gene Hackman as Lex, you see him as the epitome of the Luthor dynasty. He’s cool and calm, yet decisive and calculated and all evil. Yet he brings enough of the comic book feel to the character that the fact that he is “over the top” is just one of those great personality trades of a true evil genius. Spacey was easily as well cast as Routh was playing Superman and together they are perfect complements of each other as the ying and yang of good and evil.

You know, the great thing about seeing this movie, is that you’ll feel 10 years old again. Sit closer to the screen to watch those awesome opening credits. You will not be disappointed. Superman Returns! is so far the best of the summer movies. I’ve seen a few of them, and enjoyed many, but this will take you back and have you dreaming about why we need heros.

With this current storyline, I can see that the best is yet to come.

I saw the movie this evening, and thought, what’s the big deal? It is a fun and exciting movie, with a thought provoking historical twist. I suppose that the premise of the movie is what is the controversy, that is there are people in the “Church” that would silence any potential historical facts that change the way that the “Church” has maintained doctorine for about 2000 years. It’s that conspiracy, not some idea that Mary Magdaline was Jesus’ Wife that should be of controversy. That is just an idea, but real life church groups are going out of their way to discredit Dan Brown, Ron Howard and Tom Hanks.

Ban Books and Movies that present a possibility in a fictional way… what message does that really send? I think they are scared. Scared that the faithful may lose faith if they no longer perceive of Jesus as an immortal deity.

Many lines are blurred, and historical information is not very conclusive, yet the fear is very real. There will always be people who think that their blind faith is equal to absolute truths. These people discount science and history, and most of all humanity. I perceive this controversy to be that of the “Church”. Just like anything that gets attention and a recommendation for banning, the more people want to find out about it.

Ultimately people will watch this movie and walk away asking, what’s the big deal? And many Churches will have lost face for making something out of nothing.

Hold your breathe

Make a wish

Count to three…

The pookas are coming, they’re coming to get you now.

The pookas are coming, they come for you today.

Now concentrate on nothing. Clear your mind, think of the sky and darkness of space, as we get ready to go on our journey. First stop, a happy place.

Think back, if you will, to a time, to a place, when you were much much younger, and think about your first pet, that dog or cat. Maybe it was a fish or bird. Maybe you snuck a pet, or brought a stray dog home. Dwell on that thought for a moment, it’s your thought.

Now think for a moment if you will, that first time you had that fateful kiss. That first kiss that started all the rest of them. You remember the face that looked gently into yours, and the uncertainty. Yes, you remember every second of that moment, as it is trapped in time, trapped in your mind, to play over and over again. In your veins ran that hot blood that once ignited was impossible to extinguish, but where is it now….

Think!

I take you now to another place, it’s a place you don’t want to go. But you have to go. You feel that cringe and twinge running up your back when you think of journeying that memory of shame. Each person has done something they wish they could go back and correct, what they would have, or should have done. You said something bad to your sister or brother. You ruined a prized possession of your parents, you told a family secret, as if from the mouth of babes, but yet you knew after you said it, it was wrong. That memory is a lock, and you can not forget.

Alright hero, I’ll take you again on another day in your life… the day you accomplished a milestone in your life. How proud you were! High School, Military, or College graduation. Where did you sit or stand? You don’t remember do you? Your mind was reeling with excitement and anxiety as you wore your robes and crossed that stage. Did you hand the Principal a stone when you grabbed for your diploma? Did you look out into crowd and see your friends or your family, if you could see them.

One final stop on our journey. This one is really personal, and will take you to your core being. I’m sure that this applies in any country and at anytime, but as an American, I apply it today. Think back to your days of Kindergarten. You learned how to say the Pledge of Allegiance, and maybe sing some patrotic songs like America the Beautiful or God Bless America. In your heart of hearts and in your soul, it felt so right to love your country, and bear true faith and allegiance to the same. Did you stand and place your right hand over your heart and think about every word, as you memorized your first thing that you ever memorized.

When your done dwelling in your minds eye, come back, there will be many more adventures to travel on, in a blink of an eye.

“There is no life I know that compares with pure imagination, living there you’ll be free, if you truely wish to be.” -(Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Do you remember a time when reporters were heros? People that were respected because they were looking for truth. They did investigative reports, and were honored for exposing corruption, lies and a myriad of other stories of interest.

Lois Lane was one such reporter. Always thinking about getting the story, and taking Jimmy Olsen with him on some dangerous undertaking. But what does it say that as Americans we have heroized the female reporter. Sure Clark Kent, aka Superman, was well known as being a great reporter in his own right, but he was never described as having the tenancity that is attributed to his female counterpart.

More recently in Sky Captain and the World of Tommorow, we were treated to Polly Perkins played by Gwyneth Paltrow as a tenancious reporter looking to get the scoop of a lifetime.  I think that there has been a consistent effort to show our media as heroes, and for good reason, our 1st Amendment, freedom of the press.  This is the only way that the government can be kept in check.  Without reporters willing to report the news, and tell the stories that need to be told, we are left with talking heads.

I can’t imagine Lois or Polly spinning stories for an editorial desk, but ever more recently, reporting has given way for “spin” or maybe its so called spin.  TV now relies more on pretty faces rather than journalists.  The cold facts and reality is that News is just another entertainment outlet for some cash hungry companies looking to please its shareholders with stock performance, no matter what the message is.

Bring me a Journalist that I can admire… Again!

The other evening, I was watching TV, which by the way, I actually don’t spend as much time doing as I used to, and came across the TV Land awards show. I’m a product of the ’70s and ’80s. Like many kids my age, I grew up without 300+ TV channels with nothing on, instead I grew up with what was Great TV. Of course like many people, I watch the re-runs on TV Land, but it was a treat to see the celebrities on TV in 2006. To say that this era of Pop culture hasn’t had a dramatic impact on the lives of the 30something generation would suggest you naivity on the entire American Generational landscape.

I don’t remember too many kids my age (in elementary school) who didn’t watch Happy Days, Little House on the Prairie, or Mork and Mindy. But we watch reruns too, and lots of them. We watched shows like Twilight Zone, I love Lucy, and Mission Impossible. In the 70s, it was ok to watch black and white TV, and I wonder why it isn’t today?

The small screen, don’t we remember it well. A static-y signal, no remote controls, rabbit ears and a bang on the side of the box to get the signal back in clear. I don’t think I’ve banged the side of a TV set in years.

Getting back to this TV Land show… the actors appeared to be very grateful that the fans continue to enjoy their work even after 30+ years. Watching clips of the Batman and Robin show, with Adam West and Burt Ward just made me smile. I enjoyed those shows as a kid, and maybe it’s that feeling that you get when you watch ‘em later in life that makes you feel like a kid once more. And that’s why I like ‘em! Hurray for at least one worthy stop on remote control.

This morning I was listening to the podcasts on my 20 minute drive into work.  In case you don’t know, many podcasts update daily, so there is always fresh things to hear, such as news, politics or humor.  I listen to a variety of things, but one of the podcasts that I am subscribed to is the ABC Shuffle.  Well, this particular podcast struck a cord with me, because Jake Tapper, one of the two hosts is podcasting from Baghdad, Iraq.  You could say big deal, reporters report from there all the time.  But this podcast in someways is more like listening to two reporter friends chat about the struggles for 10 minutes of trying to bring you the story, and today was no exception!  He reported on trying to get that “feel good” story of great things happening in Iraq.  You know the human interest that we would like to believe is happening all over the place.  So he goes off to interview the producer and crew of an Iraqi sitcom that is one of the highest rated shows over there.  The day he shows up to do the interview, the guy who “Greenlighted” the show was murdered and the whole crew is devestated.

Jake Today, March 14th, 2006, gives you a good impression about what it is like to be over there, and how difficult it is to be a reporter over there.  And if that is difficult, I could only imagine how hard it would be to just live.

 If you get a chance, check out their podcast.  It is well done!

The ABCNEWS Shuffle with Jake Tapper and Hari Sreenivasan

The ABC Afternote

Checkout their webpage with a subscription link to their podcast