October 2008 Archives

Blue State. Red State. Red Planet?
Obama. McCain. Rover?

There isn't only one election you should be paying attention to. National Geographic wants your vote and you decide on thse two candidates the Spirit Rover or Opportunity Rover

Spirit - She's the underdog, only expected to last a few months. But after cheating death for 5 years, she still hasn't quit. A true fighting..spirit.

Opportunity - Success came easy for her, the lucky one, Making one discovery after another. But on a desolate, sand covered planet, Luck doesn't last long.

This November make your choice count. Click here to make your voice heard in this important election cycle.

For more on this incredible story, go to Five Years on Mars show page

Five Years on Mars premieres Sunday, November 2 at 8 e/p.

Daphna Rubin
Hoggard Films

The thought I carried around with me while we were making this film is how did these young people end up where they are today? And what role does their public high school play in their lives? Can it stand up to the influences of a place like New Orleans? We've all read about the decline of our nation's public school systems and the various initiatives to change them. This is no great epiphany. But for me, witnessing these students' lives firsthand and the vastly under-resourced school that tries to face all the challenges that come along with them were eye-opening experiences. How did we get here? And why aren't we more concerned especially when the stakes are so high?

There's a lot of talk about education in this country but essentially it's left up to local districts to figure it out no matter what resources they have. Holding educators and schools accountable does not seem to be a workable solution when the problems we witnessed were myriad and extended well beyond the schoolyard.

Not only do these young people contend with the same issues that any teenager faces - acceptance, confidence, self-esteem, etc. - but many of them carry the extra burdens that come along with life in places that are often dangerous and dysfunctional.

In some of the first video diary entries that came back, the students' descriptions of life in New Orleans ranged from not knowing whether you would survive from one day to the next to how close they'd come to extraordinary tragedy in their lives... a parent being assaulted, the death of a sibling, the murder of a friend, the absence of an imprisoned father... There wasn't one student who deviated from this experience. And there wasn't one among them who described the New Orleans beloved by tourists around the world though many described New Orleans as a city they will always love.

Sixty-two inches long, three-hundred and thirty pounds, no not a boxer, its the Mighty Arapaima. As one of the most powerful fish in the world it stands as a target for some of the world's best fishermen.

These fish aren't meant to be caught and placed on your wall, but act for many fishermen as a token of achievement before they are released back in to the waters.

Below you will see the struggle it takes for an entire team of fishermen to catch this gnarly beast.

Click here to reel in more photos, videos and stories from Hooked!

We're following a caravan of Klansmen to a secret location in Mississippi. The sun is fading, and we speed to keep up with two pickup trucks as they disappear over a hill. Our crew has been invited to film a Ku Klux Klan cross "lighting" ceremony. It's the weekend marking the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.

The caravan turns abruptly onto an unmarked road. We always take security precautions on these kinds of shoots - daily check-ins with the office, detailed maps and itineraries - but I have no idea where they're taking us. "We can't tell you for security reasons," I was told. I reach for my cell phone. No signal.

Most people react with scornful amusement when they learn that the Ku Klux Klan is still active. The brutal murders of civil rights activists during the 1960s destroyed popular support for the Klan. Gone are the days when the "invisible empire" boasted five million members, counting governors and a Supreme Court Justice among their ranks.

With over 5,000 members across the U.S., Klan groups still manage to live up to their reputation. In 1987, 19 year-old Michael Donald was walking home from a convenience store in Mobile, Alabama, when two members of the United Klans of America brutally beat him, slit his throat, and hung him from a noose - for no greater offense than being a black man.

We pull into a driveway lined with dozens of trucks, and I'm relieved to see children running around. American flags dot the yard, country music blares from a speaker and burgers sizzle on the grill. No nooses here. Aside from the occasional t-shirt bearing a slur like "Martin Luther C**n Jr.", it's a scene from a classic American barbecue.

Imperial Wizard Jeff Jones of the Southern Alliance of Klans welcomes us to the gathering, stressing that he will field all of our questions. He's determined to combat what he sees as "media bias" against the Klan. According to Jones, the Klan's platform reflects common fears among Americans: working class whites are losing jobs to illegal immigrants, and the Klan is fighting back. "We are a nonviolent organization," he emphatically reassures us.

In the 1970s, as their numbers were dwindling, Klan leaders like David Duke tried to make over the Klan's violent image. Duke knew that in order to grow, the Klan had to stop talking about lynching people and begin talking about white rights. Duke was so successful at this task, that he won a seat in the Louisiana state legislature.

Jones has clearly borrowed from Duke's playbook. He keeps up with us throughout the day with the savvy of a public relations guru, always hovering close by. When someone uses the word "racist", he is quick to correct them: "We are a racially-minded organization."

While Jones is busy tending to the 20-foot wooden cross being erected in the field, I have a chance to interview a few men hanging out by the grill. I'm speaking to a slight man wearing jeans, when I notice a tear drop tattooed just below his eye. "What's that mean?" I ask. He pauses and cocks his head to the side, as if to size me up. Glancing around quickly, he leans in close. "Killed a n****r," he whispers into my ear, smiling.

So much for the slickly crafted messages. If you hang around long enough, the politically correct polish wears off fast.

***Comments and opinions expressed below this post and other related posts do not reflect the opinions or views of National Geographic Channel and its partners.***

	Julia Dorn-Buckler
	Producer

Meeting and interviewing the world’s most amazing anglers for Michael Hoff Productions’ Hooked! is always a wild, unforgettable ride. Hooking President George H.W. Bush for an interview is a record catch!

Scanning headlines for fishing news, as soon as I see the 41st President’s headline, tarpon whopper, I know it’s perfect for our ongoing Hooked specials. The shows feature white-knuckle catches of man against monster fish. To reel in this celebrity interview takes five press kits, seven cover letters, three emails and extensive security clearances. Just like an angler, I stake out my fishing ground… and wait.

Suddenly, I get the green light. The interview’s on! Arriving at GHW Bush’s famed Kennebunkport, ME home, I meet the former president face-to-face. With cameras rolling, Mr. Bush shares the story of his glorious tarpon catch. A tough tug of war he pulled off with fishing buddy and former Olympic skier Andy Mill. (Another fun, celebrity interview I snag for the show!) During the interview, Mr. Bush says, “It was the thrill of a lifetime. And I’ve had a lot of thrills in my 84-year old life. This was better than walking up Madison Avenue following Sophia Loren.”

Next, we head into the former president’s personal fishing shed. Beaming, Mr. Bush opens up tackle boxes, demonstrates colorful flies and rattle baits, shows us gleaming rods and framed photographs of the Bush family fishing. It’s clearly in their blood – a long tradition he’s passed onto his whole clan, including the current president.

Next, I hop onto GHW’s golf cart, marked with “Hands Off – Property of 41”. As we speed off, Secret Service can barely keep up. Arriving at a beautiful spot, we overlook Maine’s coastline and the rocks where Mr. Bush started fishing in 1928. Here, his grandfather taught him to catch mackerel by trolling a little jig and handkerchief.

As much as I’d like to keep the interview going, I know I have to practice catch-and-release. Waving goodbye, my gaze follows Mr. Bush as he speeds off in his 900 horsepower motorboat, like a whopper catch happy to return to the sea.

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