If you have cable, watch the Trio Channel's nightly spot called "9 Sharp." They show mini-documentaries every night on a wide range of topics. We've been watching this almost every night and have yet to be dissappointed. Last night's film was called Culture Jam which featured a bunch of people who fight, in a sense, advertising and big corporations. A year ago or so we saw this film playing at Quimby's but didn't really get a chance to figure out what the name of it was. The following are a few links from people involved with the film.

Ad Busters
Billboard Liberation Front
Rev. Billy & the Church of stop shopping

One of my favorite scenes was of Reverend Billy taking his pulpit and news reporters from the BBC into the Disney Store in Times Square in New York City. He was preaching like a televangelist with Mickey & Minnie 'crucified' on crosses in the background telling people about Disney using sweatshop labor to make their products. Another great scene was following the Billboard Liberation Front to one of their billboard heists. Those people aren't kidding around. I imagine if I took up the pasttime I'd probably go the route of the chick from Canada. Slyly putting up stickers with comments on adverstisments. I've got a couple of pals that do that now and theirs are pretty darn funny.

Another great mini-documentary on last night was "Kids Behind Bars" on the Discovery Times Channel. This was about how the world deals with children who commit crimes. The summary at the end was that in all countries a large percentage of the children who are locked away with no rehabilitation commit the same crimes again and again. Only one children's prison in Turkey had almost a 100% rate of kids not returning to crime and they had a very interesting system. It was an open door prison, where they could walk out anytime to go to school or work. The prison got them jobs at factories where they could make a decent wage and most stayed on after their sentence was up. They were allowed to be free but still have enough structure. I wish I could have watched all of it but I missed the first hour.

So yea, sometimes a night of TV watching can be enlightening.

Side Note:
1.) Why does the government need these medical records?

A move by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to subpoena the medical records of 40 patients who received so-called partial-birth abortions at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago was halted—at least temporarily—when a Chicago federal judge quashed the information request. Read more here.

2.) Bush's administration also has another fundamentalist in the FDA according to this article. Dr. W. David Hager, an obstetrician-gynecologist who also wrote, with his wife Linda, Stress and the Woman's Body, which puts "an emphasis on the restorative power of Jesus Christ in one's life" and recommends specific Scripture readings and prayers for such ailments as headaches and premenstrual syndrome. Though his resume describes Hager as a University of Kentucky professor, a university official says Hager's appointment is part time and voluntary and involves working with interns at Lexington's Central Baptist Hospital, not the university itself. In his private practice, two sources familiar with it say, Hager refuses to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women. Hager did not return several calls for comment.
Other Articles/Websites:
His response. Remember, this could be anyone.
NOW foundation
Know the candidates.org