Al Gore's Current TV makes its debut today
New York - Much of the talk around Al Gore's new Current TV network has been broadly philosophical, like the former vice president's statement that "we want to be the television home page for the Internet generation."
With its debut today, Current TV will be judged by the same mundane standards as other networks - on whether its programming can hold a viewer's interest.
Gore and his fellow investors envision Current as a sounding board for young people, a step beyond traditional notions of interactivity. They want viewers to contribute much of the network's content now that quality video equipment is widely available.
Based on material previewed on its Web site, Current at first glance seems like a hipper, more irreverent version of traditional television newsmagazines.
Most of its programming will be in "pods," roughly two to seven minutes long, covering topics like jobs, technology, spirituality and current events. An Internet-like on-screen progress bar will show the pod's length.
Every half-hour, Current promises a news update using data from Google on news stories most frequently searched for on the Web.
"We have no illusions about the fact that our product has to be compelling," said David Neuman, Current's programming director.
"We also believe it has to be unique. Who wants to watch the seventh clone of a different network?"
Despite suspicions created by his former profession, Gore promises the network won't be advancing a political point of view.
"I think the reality of the network will speak for itself," he told reporters in Los Angeles two weeks ago. "It's not intended to be partisan in any way and not intended to be ideological."
Gore's investment team bought the former Newsworld International channel to ensure it has at least some initial distribution. About 20 million homes (out of about 110 million nationally) will get Current TV right away.
Ford sticks with program
Oshkosh, Wis. - Harrison Ford will stay on as chairman of an Experimental Aircraft Assn. program that introduces children to flying.
Ford, an avid pilot, has given more than 200 young people rides as a volunteer pilot for the program. He will serve as the EAA Young Eagles program chairman for another two years.
The actor made the announcement during the EAA's 53rd annual AirVenture fly-in and convention in Oshkosh, which ended Sunday.
"Our mission is to use aviation as a way to inspire and educate young people," EAA Young Eagles Executive Director Steve Buss said in a statement. "Harrison Ford is a great ambassador of the program because he shows that he believes in it and, as a pilot volunteer, he lives it."
The program has given children more than 1 million free demonstration flights since it started in 1992.
Director encourages meditation for students
Des Moines, Iowa - Film director David Lynch, a longtime practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, has formed a foundation that will encourage schools to use the technique in the classroom.
"It's knowledge in terms of the self and it works wonders in the kids," he said.
The David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace will raise money for TM peace groups and provide scholarships for students taking part in meditation programs.
He met some of those students during a visit to Maharishi Vedic City in rural southeast Iowa, considered the spiritual center of the TM movement in the United States.
"I'm convinced there are hundreds or thousands of kids who will see the truth of this and want to take part in one way or another," he said.
The meditation technique involves sitting comfortably with the eyes closed for 20 minutes, twice a day, according to the Web site of the Transcendental Meditation Program. It helps students overcome stress and perform better in the classroom by using their entire brain, rather than just a portion of it, Lynch said.
Singing Simon's praises
Bloomfield Township, Mich. - Mark Diffenderfer has written hundreds of poems since he was in grade school, but he never thought they'd win him any recognition.
But the 18-year-old entered the USA Weekend Songwriting Contest for Teens on a whim - and ended up beating out more than 12,000 other entries with "Make a Difference, Make Your Meaning."
Judges were past "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino and "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell.
"I was honestly blown away. I didn't know I wrote something that would do so well," said Diffenderfer. He said he wrote the song in one day and sent it in two hours before the deadline.
As part of his prize, the teen was flown to Los Angeles for the "American Idol" season finale, where he met Cowell.
"With all the things you hear about him, you'd think he would be vicious," Diffenderfer said. "But he was really a nice guy ... very positive and very supportive."
Diffenderfer will attend University of Michigan this fall. The contest win has him thinking about writing scripts for film, television or commercials.
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