The News

It's funny to hear that network news is dead when actually it's the only place to get news on television that isn't just glorified, round-the-clock gossip. I don't bother reading much news on the internet, either --only of course if someone sends me a link to an article of interest. Instead, I stick to three places: 1. PBS 2. NPR 3. CBS. On PBS, Frontline is amazing. One episode called "The Medicated Child" (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild/) about the struggles of diagnosing and treating kids with psychological disorders is outstanding. There was also a recent, infuriating episode on the Catholic church's cover-up of sexual abuse allegations (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/handofgod/). My favorite recent episodes on Frontline were called "News War, " a series of episodes on the relationship the press has with the government (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/newswar/view/). Also, if you're ever bored on a Sunday afternoon, a couple of hours spent watching NOW with David Brancaccio and Bill Moyers Journal on PBS will be well-spent. On NPR, you can't go wrong with All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Fresh Air, and This American Life. Then there's CBS, the scourge of the earth to many conservative clowns. I will concede that Katie Couric is horrible, but other than that CBS gets the job done. Who doesn't love waking up to Charles Osgood, a couple of bowls of cereal, and a few stories on CBS Sunday Morning? The nature moment at the end of the show (and whenever Osgood breaks out the piano) is priceless. And about 7 out of every 10 times I watch 60 minutes, I'm glued. For instance, this week Scott Pelley (he always seems to get the best stories --in a perfect world I would have his job or the job of a major league baseball player), reported on a man from Dallas who was freed from jail after being falsely convicted of rape and murder 27 years ago. Then, there was a story from Byron Pitts, another badass, about a man named Paul Farmer who has worked for years trying to eradicate curable diseases in developing countries. You can even watch an interview with the first-class jackass of the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia, if you're looking for a good laugh. It's all online at http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml.

On another TV note, has anyone watched the John Adams documentary on HBO? I'm on episode four. The image of the guy at the beginning of the movie getting tarred and feathered and the image of Adams's daughter with smallpox are unforgettable. Adams is a somewhat overlooked founding father with quite an intriguing story.