radiation

On 'The Colbert Report' (Weeknights, 11:30PM ET on Comedy Central), Stephen Colbert complimented the Japanese people for the calm and orderly way they've dealt with their nation's series of disasters.

He then contrasted this with the less calm and orderly way Americans deal with disasters. Colbert included in his comparison the -- not-entirely rational -- hoarding of anti-radiation pills that is currently going on in California.

"Californians are soiling their yoga mats about [Japan's] meltdown," Colbert explained. "They're panicked that trace amounts of radiation will drift 5,000 miles and contaminate their Jamba Juices. So they are already hoarding anything that is known to absorb radiation."

Actress Maura Tierney has been forced to abandon Parenthood, the NBC ensemble series in which she was cast last spring. Tierney had been diagnosed with breast cancer, had surgery and now must have treatment – chemotherapy and radiation.

The producers had pushed back production when Tierney's health crisis arose in July, but now that her condition requires prolonged treatment, she's walking away from the project and they will move on without her.

Maura released a statement saying that she was disappointed about not being able to do Parenthood, but she was confident that she would recover and resume her career after her treatments are complete.

(S01E04) Is the bar in Jericho asking patrons to pay money for the food and drink they're consuming during this crisis? I ask that because in the opening scene of tonight's episode, the power goes out and the woman behind the bar tells everyone to go home. And I'm thinking, wait a second...the world might be coming to the end and the only comfort these small town citizens can find is with each other, and the bar is making them go home at 9:30? Shouldn't this bar be sort of a meeting place, since it has food and drink and a television?

(S01E03) "18 Hours After The Bombs."

That's sort of an odd phrase to use as an opening, "after the bombs." But I guess we know they were definitely bombs, and there were more than one. Sometimes I think we might be overthinking this show. Maybe we're supposed to understand that these were nuclear bombs directed at our cities, a war, and not (take your choice) an accident, aliens, a conspiracy, or something similar. I guess the mystery is in who did it, why, and how this small town will survive.

(S01E02) Can I first say that, even before I saw the title of tonight's episode, that I totally guessed it just from looking at the previews CBS has been showing? It was either very predictable or I had a Dionne Warwick Psychic Friends Network moment.

This second episode was good. This isn't groundbreaking television. It's really more like just an old-fashioned suspense drama, but so far it's working.