Contrary to popular belief, there are not just two choices for President this year. In addition to Barack Obama and John McCain, there are four other candidates hoping to advance their particular platforms. Independent Ralph Nader is the best known among this second tier.

But listeners who tuned in late thought the bulletins were real, and widespread panic ensued as a result. Industry insiders opined that Welles timed the fake newscasts to occur when people would be flipping through their dial during a station break from other programs.

Last week, vice presidential candidates Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin squared off in their first and only debate. The affair was moderated by Gwen Ifill, who never actually moderated. Not once did she challenge the two speakers when they avoided answering her questions, and not once did she prompt the candidates to engage one another.

Politicians and highranking government officials like to keep us in line by reminding us that they know more than we do. We heard it three years ago from congressmen who told us to trust George Bushs judgement on weapons of mass destruction because he has all of the facts, and we dont.

In this, the lame duck year of the lame brained George Bush, job losses continue to be staggering. From January through the end of August, 605,000 Americans were thrown out of work. Collaterally, 1.2 million homes were foreclosed in the second quarter and another 2.

John McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, purports some pretty scary views. She believes that a woman who has an abortion is a criminal. She believes that certain books should be banned from public libraries. She sees nothing wrong with civilians owning AK-47 assault rifles.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the so-called Democratic convention was over before it began for two reasons: Florida and Michigan. After Sen. Hillary Clinton won both contests, Sen. Barack Obama fought hard to disenfranchise voters in the Sunshine and Wolverine states.

At age 54, I am officially from the old school, and, thus, prone to generational pet peeves. For one thing, I don’t like long hair on today’s athletes. There is nothing less professional and less team oriented, than seeing long stringy hair or dreadlocks flowing from ‘neath a football helmet.

If you loved how our goof-off President George Bush delayed sending help to victims of Hurricane Katrina, you’ll really like his sequel. It’s called How I Left the Georgian Republic Stranded and Helped to Re-start the Cold War in the Process.

“Who so ever is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” It is an appropriate phrase to recall as we examine the recent implosion of John Edwards and his political career. And yet, Edwards wasn’t just any man caught in an illicit affair. He is a very public figure who, as Dana Milbank of the Washington Post put it, “campaigned about the two Americas he had seen, and now America has seen that there are two John Edwardses.”

A few weeks ago I happened onto a TV show titled “Airline” on the Bravo channel. It is not a typical reality series. No one auditions. No one wins a recording contract and a trip to Hollywood. No one is forced to eat bugs or live with strangers in a strange place filled with hidden cameras (well, I might be wrong about that). And though “Airline” is clearly a promotional vehicle for Southwest Airlines, the series remains an unrehearsed looking glass into our society.

It is sadly ironic that while everyone from Congress to local credit counselors are trying to make home ownership more affordable for individuals, we as a nation are forfeiting ownership of our collective home. That’s because day by day, foreign interests are buying up our real estate, corporations and landmarks.

We’ve endured a lot under George Bush. First it was the stolen election of 2000. Then came the illegal invasion of Iraq. Next was denial of global warming and obstructing development of alternate sources of energy. That was followed by leaving thousands of poor people stranded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and the outing of a CIA operative.

Last week, the Rev. Jesse Jackson whispered into what he thought was a dead microphone, and said he'd like to cut off Barack Obama's nuts. But an astute, eavesdropping audio technician lifted the gaffe and had it broadcast around the globe. Appropriately, last week the Senate voted on a bill to allow wiretaps without warrants.

Recently the airwaves have been replete with pundits and economists debating whether we are in a recession. Even worse, some of those same soothsayers are starting to drop the "D" word. Suddenly FDR's New Deal is relevant again, and the Great Depression is more than just a.

Last week, former White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott McClellan went on a media tour to promote his new tell-all tome titled What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception.

I detest disclaimers, but for those of you who have never read one of my columns or watched my TV show, be advised: I am not a Republican or a Democrat.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers introduced a bill that would require local school districts to stop bullies from terrorizing their victims.

At first glance it would seem that a squabble over tourism in Forsyth County would be of no interest to anyone in Greensboro, Asheville, Raleigh or Charlotte.