American Idol is by far the greatest reality show ever, because it is the only show to consistently defy reality. Every year you would think the general public would grow tired of watching the same thing over and over again, the same bad singers mixed in with above average singers but none of them with any real talent, or else they wouldn’t be on a show like American Idol in the first place. You would think this formula would grow old at some point, especially since the winners of the show really go on to nothing more than a modicum of ephemeral fame, their fifteen minutes sliced into two and half seconds of groupies and joy.

Even stranger enough is where they keep finding contestants willing to participate in this orgy of schadenfreude, or if it is simply the same cast of yahoos and characters applying over and over again. Perhaps they simply reuse stock footage of previous American Idols, then cut to a new panel of judges to comment. It seems as if they never show the judges and the contestant on the same screen, and I wonder if the judges are even in the room, or just some studio in a far off land. This adds to the intrigue, making American Idol my favorite show because its bewildering power over its audience remains a mystery which I must solve. I watch American Idol on FOX on satellite TV from www.directstartv.com/directv_current_offer.html.

There is only one show I know of that is on repeatedly throughout the day and night. Do you know what show I’m referring to? If you’re a sports fan you might. Yes, this show is SportsCenter. I’m very happy that SportsCenter is on during the day. Since I take classes at night, there’s no other time for me to catch up on what’s happening in the sports world. Every morning during breakfast, I turn on my Direct TV and watch SportsCenter. While it might be slightly embarrassing to admit, I take my fantasy sports very seriously. In case you don’t know what fantasy sportsare, it’s when you select players from different teams to form your own imaginary team. Their accumulated stats will lead to your team’s overall score. The objective is to have a higher score than your opponents.

If I don’t watch SportsCenter, I will not have the necessary information to compete with others in my league. And in case you’re wondering, I play fantasy football, baseball, hockey, basketball, and golf. Yes, it seems as though I like this game. That’s why SportsCenter is so important. If Drew Brees has an injury and he’s my starting QB, I need to know about it. This will allow me to pick up the highest rated player on the free agent list prior to my opponent. This is only one example of many. It’s also why SportsCenter has become my favorite daytime television show.

Prior to 9/11 one of the big issues in the United States was whether or not we should be getting involved in foreign affairs and taking military action. One such case was Somalia, where an unruly warlord had taken control and caused the starvation of thousands of people. In 1993, Bill Clinton decided to send troops in to take the warlord out. It did not go well. The planning was poor, the enemy was underestimated, and American lives were at stake in a foreign and reckless land. A movie was made about this event, which is called Black Hawk Down.

The movie is called Black Hawk Down because the trouble begins when a Black Hawk helicopter is shot down from the sky. This leaves several highly trained yet vulnerable Americans in the middle of a war zone where they’re the primary target. After watching this movie on Movies on Demand the other night, that I found on tvbydirect.com, I had a much greater appreciation for those who have to suffer through such intense and life-threatening situations. I can’t imagine having to go through what these soldiers went through. I felt myself out of breath several times throughout the movie.

Did the American soldiers survive? If you’re not familiar with this story, it’s highly recommended that you watch the movie Black Hawk Down. It’s not only entertaining, but highly educational in many ways.