Mar-23-2007
Maude Actress Speaks

Host Dirk Van chats again with actress Adrienne Barbeau. The Maude actress talks about the difference between television now and 30 years ago. Barbeau also talks about the challenges of her off-Broadway career.

Meanwhile, Dirk issues another call for recipes for the spring bake. Send in your cake recipes!

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-21-2007
The Wonder of the Galapagos

Host Dirk Van continues his chat with the National Geographic Channel's Mike Heithaus. The marine biologist talks about efforts to keep the Galapagos Islands pristine. Heithaus was on First Light to promote the NGC special Galapagos. Keep tuning in and logging on for more from the best guests!

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-19-2007
Islands in the Stream

Host Dirk Van talks to the National Geographic Channel's Mike Heithaus about the NGC special Galapagos. Heithaus calls the famed islands "little mini living laboratories" and discusses how they played a major role in Darwin's theory of evolution.

Turning to your e-mail, Jen in Oshkosh writes in to say March Madness betting isn't a big problem; what really bugs her is how much men watch sports on television! Terry in Annapolis, meanwhile, shares thoughts about free trade and Mexican trucking initiatives.

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-16-2007
Dance The Night Away

Host Dirk Van returns with sports writer John Feinstein, author of the new paperback book Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four.

Feinstein explains why the stakes are so high for coaches and even more so for players, who will only get a three or four year window to get the glory. The author discusses Duke, college hoops and the emotion of the tournament.

On the e-mail front, Troy in Casper, Wyoming, writes in about snoring and why he wants to try the tennis ball trick for his wife! Sharon in Billings, Montana, shares her thoughts on Dirk's recent show on truck safety and Jeannie in Sun City, Arizona, says the whole fear of computers crashing with the early change in daylight-saving time was "much ado about nothing."

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-13-2007
The No 'Spinster' Zone

Lis Wiehl returns to discuss her book The 51 Percent Minority: How Women Still Are Not Equal and What You Can Do About It. The author worries about having one less woman on the Supreme Court, and talks about some egregious wrongs -- like single women homebuyers being labeled 'spinsters' on real-estate documents in some states.

Meanwhile, host Dirk Van shares some recent emails about gas prices. Jerry in Mitchell, South Dakota, writes in about the high price of petrol and says he walks as much as possible - his workplace is only one mile from his home! On the other end of the spectrum is Judy in Oregon, who says she doesn't have the luxury to not use her car when prices at the pump are outrageous. Her commute to work is some 20 miles, and she lives in an area where there's very little public transportation.

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-12-2007
Minority Report

Host Dirk Van talks to author Lis Wiehl about her book The 51 Percent Minority: How Women Still Are Not Equal and What You Can Do About It. Wiehl reveals that women earn 73 cents for every dollar a man makes, but pay for the predominant amount of childcare, day care, nannies, after-school activities and more.

Wiehl says she undertook this book, in part, because she wanted to be a role model for the young women she taught as a law professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. The author will be back tomorrow for more discussion. Keep your e-mails coming for Dirk!

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-08-2007
I Like Mike: Part 2

Host Dirk Van returns with actor Mike Farrell. The M*A*S*H alumnus explains why he'd never want to run for political office; how his TV popularity helped bolster his activism; and why he's not immune to coming down with the Dixie Chicks syndrome.

On the e-mail front, Tammy in Dodge City, Kansas, weighs the benefits of a Maserati convertible and a pricy electric car called the Venturi Festish. Meanwhile, James in Kingston, New York, sheds some light on alcoholism among older people.

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-07-2007
I Like Mike

Host Dirk Van talks to actor Mike Farrell about his new memoir titled Just Call Me Mike. Farrell says he was reluctant to write the tome and describes the experience of committing his life to the printed page. The thespian-cum-author also talks about the legacy of M*A*S*H and more.

Keep those e-mails coming to Dirk! He'll share more of them tomorrow.

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-06-2007
Wonder-ful: Part 2

Host Dirk Van chats again with Kathy Beaumont. Kathy shared her memories of being schooled at the MGM Studio when she was a pre-teen. Her daily schedule included four hours of work, three of school and one for lunch! Even though she was only voicing characters like Alice in Alice in Wonderland and Wendy Darling in Peter Pan, Kathy was routinely filmed as inspiration for the animators.

Meanwhile, Jared in Evans, Ga., writes in to share his thoughts on cars. Keep your e-mail coming to Dirk!

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-05-2007
Wonder-ful!

Host Dirk Van spoke with Kathy Beaumont on Monday. Though you might not know her by name, you know her by voice. She's the woman who voices the character of Alice in Alice in Wonderland and Wendy Darling in Peter Pan.

Find out Kathy's thoughts on the platinum edition DVD of Peter Pan; her rise to fame from London to Hollywood; and what it was like to audition for Walt Disney himself.

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-02-2007
Get Wimpy!

Cartoonist Jeff Kinney is on the scene with a new book titled Diary of a Wimpy Kid. As Dirk points out, this is the kind of semi-autobiographical journal/cartoon book that most people can identify with.

Wimpy Kid allows Kinney to get in touch with his inner-child-in this case seventh-grader Greg Heffley, who is the story's main character. "[Greg is] a wimpy kid, but he's comfortable in his own skin. But unfortunately everybody pressures him to change," Kinney tells Dirk.

Meanwhile, we need spring bake suggestions, so send in your favorite cake and other confections recipes.

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Mar-01-2007
Fitness Forever

Want to shape up before the summer? Try taking some tips form Harley Pasternak, the dietician to the stars. Pasternak's new book, The 5 Factor Diet, lays out an easy plan that doesn't involve portion control. The result? People can lose weight "without feeling like they're in diet prison," the author says. Of course, exercise is a big part of the plan, so get out there and start moving!

Dirk himself says he can't wait to try Pasternak's recipe for tuna sashimi with garlic-scallion vinaigrette! If you're wondering about the famous stars who have benefited from The 5 Factor Diet, look no further than the hot bodies of Halle Berry, Orlando Bloom and Kanye West, among others.

Meanwhile, Dirk recently shared an e-mail from Benji in Kingston, NY, who weighed in on the question of legalizing marijuana. Find out why Benji is high on life!

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Feb-27-2007
Gold Fever

Martin Scorsese was the man of the hour at the 79th annual Academy Awards. The veteran director finally nabbed a golden statue when he was named Best Director toward the end of the telecast. But after being snubbed for the honor eight times over the years, Scorsese hardly had a moment to take it all in and reflect; his film The Departed was immediately crowned Best Picture just seconds later!

Meanwhile, other dramatic moments occurred when American Idol reject Jennifer Hudson captured the Oscar in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category for her work in Dreamgirls; and when Alan Arkin (pictured here) surprised everyone by being named Best Supporting Actor for his lewd-and-loveable grandfather role in Little Miss Sunshine.

Finally, kudos to host Ellen Degeneres who fulfilled a lifelong dream of hosting the Oscars. The comedienne used her congenial humor to win over the crowd and put everyone at ease during the big night.

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Feb-23-2007
And the Oscar Goes To . . .


Oscar season is upon us again. The Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, and the stars are sure to come out for the festivities.

There's a great slate of films that have gotten recognition this year. While serious flicks like Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima and The Queen dominate the Best Film category, Oscar voters also gave a nod to the dysfunctional yet loveable comedy Little Miss Sunshine.

Meanwhile, Dreamgirls is also one of the most nominated films this year. In addition to garnering nods in eight categories, the film also launched the career of American Idol flunkie Jennifer Hudson. Take that, Simon Cowell!

Who will win the gold this year? Tune into ABC at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET to find out!

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM

Feb-13-2007
Great Music Never Goes Out of Style


Well, the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards has come and gone. If you didn't get to see the live telecast on Feb. 11, you missed out one of the classiest GRAMMY shows in recent years. The reunited Police did the opening honors, Sting and his bandmates looking great while performing a beefed-up rendition of "Roxanne."

The first award of the night went to two class acts, Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder, who won in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category for their stellar rendition of "For Once in My Life." Bennett and Wonder beat out a host of younger acts for the honor, and in doing so demonstrated that great music is timeless.

There were a number of wonderful performances during the GRAMMYs: Christina Aguilera paid tribute to the late James Brown; Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts saluted country-rock music; and newcomer Corrine Bailey Rae joined John Legend and John Mayer for a medley of songs.

And as if to underscore the elegance of the whole show, the legendary Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie teamed up with new teen star Chris Brown to pay tribute to the history of R&B male vocalists. Three generations, one message: Great music never goes out of style.

Posted by First Light Staff at 12:00 AM