Peter Jennings - Ecstasy Rising

The rise of Ecstasy is a major event in drug history. If current trends continue, 1.8 million Americans will try Ecstasy for the first time in 2004; only marijuana will attract more new users. Overwhelming, positive word of mouth has made Ecstasy a nightmare for drug controllers. On a special edition of 'Primetime Thursday' Peter Jennings tells the epic story of Ecstasy that has never been heard. This is an interesting documentary on the history of ecstasy in America and Europe. It criticizes the government's position based on spurious statistics and borders on promoting the drug. It opens with a montage of people saying it was the best thing that they ever did followed by one or two guys warning that it's a pharmaceutical Russian Roulette. Decide for yourself. And drink lots of fluids.

Hiroshima

America's dropping of the bomb(s) on Japan is a bit of a taboo in my house, especially around the holidays when my grandparents are over. Like most people of their generation, my parents think it was an abominable act and unnecessary for the victory of the war. However, their parents, specifically on my mother's side have quite the opposite opinion. I don't know all the details about my grandfather's service during WW2, but I think he would have been shipped to the Pacific if the war had gone on much longer so he to this day is glad we did it. I'm more inclined to agree with my parents on the matter (if I ever utter/write those words again, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will saddle up). I was nevertheless pretty horrified when I found a clip of a BBC documentary called "Hiroshima." Voiced by Malcolm McDowell, it reenacts the bomb drop and even has interviews with survivors, one of whom was pretty much at ground zero. She only survived because she was in an earthquake-proof bank. It's pretty horrifying stuff, but worth the 10 minutes to watch.