I have admitted that I watch TV. TV is good. If it were not for TV, as Sean Cullen has said, we would all be sitting around with the radio on shouting "WHERE ARE THOSE VOICES COMING FROM!!!"

Anyway, last night was not a night of trash TV - which I reserve for Monday nights. I actually learned a few things:

• From WWTI sports, our local ABC station, I learned that North Country high school basketball is holding its own in the New York State championships.

• On TVO, I watched Time Team, an archeology show, about a three day dig at Greenwich (London, UK) for the joisting complex and armoury for Henry the VIII from about 1515. Apparently the site was demolished in the 1700's to build the present site and its large lawns. This was the first dig at the site in the 300 years since the demolition. This is a Channel 4 show from the UK which is a slightly lighter version of Two Men in a Trench from the BBC, one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

• Later, on PBS's Nova, there was an amazing show on geobicrobiology (microorganisms eating rocks) that explained the current understanding that caves with dripping stalagtites are the result of the eating of stone. They showed a variety of scummy films on sulphuric acid rich underground streams and suggested that this was exactly how life began...and in fact was continuously beginning. It also pointed out that it was the source of important trace elements in the atmosphere and perhaps almost important as the rain forest for our air.

• There actually are amazingly good singers on American Idol, especially Fantasia Barrino.

• Finally, after watching Ian Wright in Brazil on Pilot Guides, I renew my regret for not going to Rio in the mid-80's when my pal Jamie had a place to crash there. Geoff went and came back with tales of all you can eat steak restaurants and the beach, the beach, the beach and caipirinhas - a drink of white rum, white sugar and smashed lemons (no mix, no water). I have assuaged the hurt with a few Faro CDs since, including a David Byrne edited anthology.