Get To Know Your Heroes

If Barry Bonds or A-Rod are people you look up to this may not be for you. Though if you admire the brave men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan that are making huge sacrifices and do not see their faces on the nightly news enough, then pay attention. Starting tomorrow night, HBO is featuring "Alive Day," which tells the stories of soldiers that came close to death and ultimately lost limbs fighting in a civil war without end.

From HBO:

In a war that has left more than 25,000 wounded, ALIVE DAY MEMORIES: HOME FROM IRAQ looks at a new generation of veterans. Executive Producer James Gandolfini interviews ten Soldiers and Marines who reveal their feelings on their future, their severe disabilities and their devotion to America. The documentary surveys the physical and emotional cost of war through memories of their "alive day," the day they narrowly escaped death in Iraq.

Watch the entire ALIVE DAY MEMORIES special on HBO.com beginning Sunday, September 9 at 11:30pm, immediately following the premiere.

> Interview with Executive Producer James Gandolfini

Put together by the famous "Tony Soprano," James Gandolfini is a star in his own right. Doing this show is a great way for him to shine in a different way as well as giving back to the stars that do not get their own award-winning show. In our society, Emmys mean more than purple hearts and Congressional medals of honor and it is time to highlight a few of these unsung heroes.

John Edwards On 'Real Time With Bill Maher'

Bill asked Senator Edwards some tough and blunt questions in his usual wry comedic style. John wouldn't talk about the 'third America' that resides in Vegas, though he was honest when asked about the drop in phone calls coming from Bill Clinton for campaign advice.

Edwards steered the interview very well and made it about honesty. Usually cynical, Maher looked very impressed with the answers he was given. Whether it was about raising taxes to provide universal health care or his plan to gradually remove troops from Iraq and to reform campaign finance. He cared more about giving real solutions to the country's problems than sounding like a typical candidate fishing for votes. Maher even stole McCain's old theme of straight-talk to describe Edwards' answers.

Overall Senator Edwards performed admirably and was well-spoken as usual. As one of the top three contenders for the Democratic nomination next year, he went above and beyond. Catch the video at JWHarrison's blog.

Bill Maher Is Back!

'Real Time' on HBO, the new season kicked off just a couple hours ago on HBO. After a furious search of the internets, there really isn't much out there just yet. However, Roger Catlin had a few words to say about the show. As he describes tonight's show in short detail, you can see that he is a little bit bored before the 'New Rules' comes on.

From his blog on the Hartford Courant:

He had plenty of guests to get to. John Edwards gave his platform via satellite from Las Vegas, and John Amaechi, the former NBA player who came out as gay, via satellite from New York toward the end of the broadcast.

His initial panel was a bit of a bore, with token Republican Michael Steele of GO-Pac, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina (flogging a book), and the host from “The Late Late Show,” Craig Ferguson, playing it mostly seriously.

There was still his “New Rules” to get to though, and that’s always worth hanging out for. It began this time with the recent news about the Rev. Ted Haggard, who lost his job for patronizing a gay prostitute announcing he was 100 percent straight.

"You can’t make a gay man 100 percent straight in a month, especially if that month contains fashion week," Maher said. "A month to change your sexuality? I’ve spent longer than that on hold trying to quit AOL!”

Other late night comics make easy political jokes; what sets Maher apart is the fire that ignites his show-closing rants, this one out dismissing worthy candidates based on single gaffes, citing Howard Dean's "Yee Haw" and Joe Biden's recent pick of poor words to describe Barack Obama.

Here's the text of the New Rules from Huffington Post, read more from the link and stay tuned for the video clips!