Lauren makes fun of me about my love for the TV drama “Law and Order.” While I think it’s plot twists, engaging court drama, and great acting make it a hit, Lauren says it’s “corny.” One thing I have learned from “Law and Order” is that I have the right to remain silent. This may no longer be the case. A city in California is attempting to challenge the right to remain silent. In the story the police shoot a guy five times, in the eyes, spine, and legs, and then proceed to question him while he is crying in pain. The scariest part is the federal government is backing this in an effort to help the “War on Terror.” Just one more reason to move to Canada.

In other news there is a new study out that suggests cheating on your spouse could strengthen your marriage. Being one of the lucky kids whose parents did not get divorced, I find this disturbing. I thought marriage was about trust and devotion. Maybe I’m wrong.

Evidently freedom of religion does not extend to private organizations. A recent story on CNN.com tells about an Eagle Scout who could be booted for being an Atheist. This fits well with their other close minded policy stating gays cannot participate either. Maybe I’m the only one noticing a drastic shift in the mentality of our nation. This drastic shift to the right is directly related to 9/11 and the tanked economy in my opinion.

Parents and administrators have become hypersensitive in recent years. After Columbine administrators banned black trench coats. More recently a teach performed pantie checks at a school dance. Today brings news of a girl change her “outrageous” hairstyle. What could be so offensive she HAS to change it? Dreadlocks. Give me a break.

After reading an article in Time magazine that described how many advertising companies are using more and more guerilla marketing tactics, I came accross this story. The story describes how Starburst has recorded a hot new single that is currently number 28 on the record charts in Australia. The article in Time described Red Bull putting empty cans of the drink in trash cans and on pub tables before the drink was released in London. Other stories included people acting like tourists asking you to take their picture with the latest digital camera or cute girls in bars asking you to by them namebrand drinks (ie. “How about you buy me a refreshing Mike’s Hard Lemonade”). One exec describes it as “real life product placement.” Scary.

It’s been one year since the 9/11 attacks. I’m trying to not watch TV or find programming that does not involve the horrific images of 9/11. On CCN.com they are taking proposals from any and all on what should be done with the 16 acres where the WTC once stood. In my opinion we should replace it with what was once there. How better to show the world we will not back down than to build what once stood? If it were up to me we would build them even bigger than before.

The marketroids have finally gone too far. They some how suckered 5 people into legally changing their names to Turok in anticipation of the new XBox game of the same name. The 5, who were chosen out of over 10,000 applications from mynameisturok.com, will recieve an XBox and 500 pounds. A particularily scary quote from the article quotes one marketroid as saying, “The five Turoks will no doubt speak to and meet tens of thousands of people between them over the next year and will be walking, talking adverts for the Turok video game.”

This weekend I read an article about making reparations to African Americans for the injustices of slavery. I have a few problems with this. Other than the obvious point that many Americans had nothing to do with this (my ancestors came over around the turn of the century), I have problems with how they want the money. Some want each and every African American to get a check, others want a trust fund set up. I say if one dollar goes towards such a settlement I’ll be moving. Since when does the US government not have soviernty?

CNN.com is running a story about a main character in a comic coming out. The comic is the Green Lantern and has been running this thread for a while. Evidently, the character is going to be the victim of a hate crime. I think it’s a good thing that issues like this are being addressed in mainstream forms of entertainment.

A recent article at CNN.com is asking the question, “How much is too much?” It is in regards to 9/11 TV coverage on the one year anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Personally, I think each broadcasting company should decide ONE channel to host ONE ONE hour special marking the anniversary. This means that Disney, for instance, could only choose ABC to show a one hour special at one point. The Disney channel and all other subsidiary channels would not broadcast 9/11 anniversary specials.

I must say that Fox announcing commercial free programming for the 1 year anniversary of 9/11 is pretty cool. Their competitors say that they are spinning the truth: corporate America isn’t interested in purchasing advertising on that day anyways. Either way I think it’s a good idea to keep the Dell dude off the air for those 24 hours.