However, the creative forces behind modern entertainment have trivialized the concept of death to the point of making it ridiculous. Genre shows are overusing the concept of temporary death ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Supernatural" and "Heroes" come to mind), and it is becoming a tired cliche used to bring in viewers during sweeps week. For death to be meaningful, it needs to be permanent.

When introduced properly, cheating death can be a central, orienting element. The Cylons in "Battlestar Galactica" are defined by their ability to respawn. In "Torchwood," it is known from the beginning that Capt. Jack Harkness is unable to die. In "Heroes," Claire Bennet's super power is her inability to stay injured or dead, and it is a defining element of her character. These characters generally are exceptions to the rule, but increasingly, the rules are being broken, and the results are disappointing.

Darkroom Productions Keeps the Good News Coming

We get a number of boastful e-mails from local hip-hop labels, and trust us when we say they're not all newsworthy. But pretty much anytime Juan Donovan, who along with Jamal Roberts makes up Darkroom Productions, sends out an e-mail blast, he's got something genuinely exciting to tell us. Every few weeks there's another major-label rapper they're collaborating with, or another show on MTV that they're composing original music for. And this morning came a whole slew of information from Donovan, including the release date for Darkroom's first nationally distributed album, among other things.

In January, Donovan first announced that Darkroom Productions had signed a deal to release Hamsterdam The Album with distribution from independent hip-hop giant Koch.

Stockton men face Paterson for NJAC title today

The Richard Stockton College men's basketball team is a perennial contender in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. But the Ospreys haven't won the conference championship since 1997.Stockton will try to win its first NJAC title in 11 years when it hosts William Paterson University at 2 p.m. today in the conference championship game at The Sports Center iGalloway Township. Both teams are 19-6 on the season.Stockton won the conference title in 1987, 1988, 1996 and 1997, but since then has lost in the title game in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2005. The Ospreys also are seeking their first NCAA Division III tournament berth since 1999."We've been to the conference championship game nine times since I've been coaching," said Stockton coach Gerry Matthews, who took over the program in 1985-86. "At one time, we were 4-1, but now we're 4-5.

The scandal of Scotland's battered women

Case workers fear this puts them at risk, with many returning to their partners and further abuse. Labour MSP Johann Lamont, the party's communities spokeswoman, said: "I am shocked and really concerned about these figures, which represent women and children, in the most difficult circumstances, who are effectively refugees in their own country and need a safe place to live.

BLOG YOURSELF HEARD

According to research released today, 15 per cent of Brits have embraced blogs, or online diaries, in a bid to make their opinions count.

Perhaps its the appeal of creating an online persona, or the freedom to speak behind the veil of complete anonymity.

Whatever the reason for Britains love affair with blogging, millions of us are getting friendly with our laptops in a bid to make ourselves heard - to whomever will listen.

The Welsh are the most active bloggers with a massive 23 per cent heading for their PCs.

Of those who blog, one in five are logging on at least once a day and female bloggers are more keen than the lads, with 23 per cent blogging daily or more often against 17 per cent of men.

Australian dollar rises towards US87 cents

THE Australian dollar was stronger at noon after recent liquidity injections from the world's central banks boosted demand for high interest-rate currencies.

The funds injection temporarily reduced worries about the global credit crunch on Friday night, improving risk appetite for high yielding currencies like the Australian and NA dollars. At 12 noon AEDT, the Australian dollar was trading at $US0.8677/82, up from Friday's close of 0.8624/32. During the morning session, the Australian dollar traded between a low of $US0.8674 and a high of 0.8689. Bank of New Zealand head of foreign exchange Mike Symonds said the co-ordinated action from the central banks of the US, Europe and the United Kingdom had helped high-yielding currencies like the Australian dollar begin the week in the stronger position.

9/11 Commission Purposely Set Up So 9/11 Staff Had Conflict of ...

Indeed, Lehman strongly implies that the Commission was purposely set up so that every single person involved would have a conflict of interest which would prevent them from conducting an honest investigation. Lehman himself is a textbook example of conflict of interest. In 1998, 9/11 Commission executive director Zelikow published an article in Foreign Affairs, the journal of the Council on Foreign Relations, entitled Catastrophic Terrorism: Imagining the Transformative Event. Some two years later, PNAC picked up the Zelikow language, saying that the campaign to convince the public to allow expanded use of U.S. military force around the world "is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event -- like a new Pearl Harbor". Lehman was a member of PNAC, and a signatory to PNAC's plea for "a new Pearl Harbor".

Cubans eye US presidential election

Quiz Cubans on their new president and you're as likely to hear about Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama as Raul Castro.

Seated nearby, his pal predicted that undercurrents of racism and sexism would push McCain to victory in the November election.