columbia

The new Columbia Pictures disaster epic, 2012, proposes what many New Age folk believe is inevitable. The Roland Emmerich movie looks ahead to December 21, 2012 as the end of the world because the Mayan Calendar cycle ends on that day.

So, the cinematic seas rise, and the ground shakes -- sending scores of mid-range stars scrambling for their lives. Syfy previews both the movie and its long-held cataclysm theory on a new special, 2012: Startling New Secrets. Premiering Sunday, November 8 at 9 p.m., the two-hour show "delves into the Mayan Mystery surrounding 2012."

I'm going out on a limb here and predicting the show will fail to ask the obvious question: If the Mayans were so adept at looking centuries into the future to predict the end of the world, why weren't they clairvoyant enough to foresee the end of their long-extinct civilization and prevent its collapse?

CBS is the only network that has opted not to interrupt its programming tomorrow afternoon to cover the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery (FOX is in local access at that time). NBC and ABC will both cut in with reporters stationed in Florida and space shuttle experts on hand. NBC is planning to have NBC Sports break away from the U.S. Women's Open Championship to news anchor John Seigenthaler just before the launch, which is scheduled for 3:39 pm ET. CBS says it will have reporters at the event but will wait until the evening news to air its coverage. MSNBC, CNN, and FOX Newschannel will no doubt be going whole hog with their coverage, constantly reminding us of the shuttle tragedy in February 2003 when Columbia broke up as it entered the earth's atmosphere. Sadly, that tragedy is the reason the news networks even care about this launch, which is delivering two tons of supplies to the International Space Station. It took the deaths of seven brave astronauts for the mass media to remember that America even has a space program.

"Somebody has lost their mind."

That quote from an angry Columbia, SC fan of 24 pretty much sums up this situation. Some genius over at WACH, Columbia's FOX affiliate, decided to start the news on time on Sunday night... cutting off the last 10 minutes of the season premiere of 24. For East coasters, 24 started about 10 minutes late on Sunday night because an NFL playoff game went over the time allotted. Apparently no one who works at WACH actually watches the programming there, because they just flipped over to the news right at ten o'clock. Even if they weren't watching 24, the newsroom should have known to slide their programming by 10 minutes because FOX usually notifies all of its affiliates over an audio "black box" when schedule changes occur.