If it weren't for public service announcements, kids everywhere would be drinking Liquid Plumber and throwing themselves in front of trains.

You know what I mean: those PSAs you watched as a kid told you how to be safe, avoid abduction, deal with bullies, eat the right foods, and seventeen ways to kill a man with a paper clip. I'd say, in most respects, TV raised you better than your parents ever could.

Anyway, here's a few old PSAs. Two come from Concerned Children's Advertisers in Canada, the last one from the American Lung Association.

I'm a couple days behind on this, but I only just found out about the National Geographic special Rat Genius last night. Luckily the special will re-air this Friday at 2 pm. Perhaps I'm the only one who finds a special dedicated to the minds of these rodents fascinating and intriguing, but if you share my love of nature programs this sounds like it could be very interesting. The special will explore how rats can survive in almost any environment, and how it's actually possible for one to actually swim up through your toilet. It also examines how a rat's mind works by learning from past experiences, and how experts are trying to harness the brain power of these rodents to detect landmines in Africa and help discover diseases in human beings. That's right, not only is your home probably infested with these little creatures, but they're actually much smarter than you think. Sleep well.