I'm Melting

Stephen's top story tonight was his encouragement of senior citizens to become more tech savvy. He also presented some excellent rationale for why this is important. So come on seniors, learn how to surf those internets.

But on with more pressing issues. LIBOR - London Inter Bank Offered Rate. It's a big deal. It's good and bad. And Stephen had Dave Leonhardt, New York Times Washington Bureau Chief, on the show to explain it all to Stephen. Stephen then condensed it down to Cupcakes Good, Terrorists Bad. So, that helped me understand it.

Canada has new polymer hundred dollar bills. This is great news. Unfortunately, if they get too hot,  they can melt. Talk about your money burning a hole in your pocket. I'm going to recommend that Canadians start putting ice cubes in their pocket or wallet from now on to take care of this minor inconvenience of a shrinking dollar.

Stephen's guest was Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Stephen has a nice automobile with a button or knob to control the climate within his car. So he doesn't quite understand Ms. Jackson's fascination with keeping the environment so clean and pure. Ms Jackson state that back in Richard Nixon's time, we had rivers that would burn. Thus the catalyst for the EPA. (Of course Stephen thinks that a burning river is just a good source of alternative energy.)

To help Stephen understand, she talked about mercury. It is toxic to the brain and is manifested in children. What we get is a loss in IQ for those of the younger persuasion. She had other examples and there is a whole lot of info at the website.

Stephen made a prediction of sorts at the end of the show. Whether or not it comes true , I don't know, but it did get a grin and a slight chuckle from guest Lisa Jackson.

I Was There and He Wasn't

Stephen had two interesting people on tonight.

The first was Carol Browner, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and former head of the E.P.A. (Environmental Protection Agency). She was there to try to set Stephen straight on the need for clean air and clean water and thus the E.P.A. I'm sure you've all heard about problems with pollution. I also am quite sure that you partake of breathing of the air and drinking of the water and so can appreciate having standards so that it stays that way.

Stephen also had clips of Rush Limbaugh talking on the radio, but that is not the same as having him on the show. Rush talked about how great the LRA - Lords of Resistance Army is in Uganda. It seems at first he was praising them and then, once he found out about the accusations against them of nasty stuff such as murder and abduction, Limbaugh sort of back pedaled and said he would do some more research about the LRA.

Then another real person on the show. Ali H. Soufan, former Special Agent for the FBI and counter-terrorism operator. He has a new book out: "The Black Banners - The inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda." He has done some remarkable things, mostly by being smart and talking to suspects. Amazing how well that can work. He was able to get really good information that helped us a lot in the fight against terrorism. Go watch the show over at Colbert Nation if you didn't see it tonight.

Find out who Ali Soufan was talking about when he said, "I was there and he wasn't."