I have had two commentaries on the air already, but tonight is my "official" start. Think of my Tiger Woods commentary as a soft launch.

Tonight I am commenting on the tragic death of the trainer at Sea World.

I can't believe how much the media has sensationalized this death. I even heard the cable channels talking about a "pre-meditated" attack by the Killer Whale.

Are you kidding me?

That Orca can snap a thousand pound Walrus in two with one bite. If he wanted to kill the woman with an attack, he could have.

He either mistook her ponytail for something else - a fish maybe - or he was being playful by yanking her into the water. How is he to know she can't breathe under water without some preparation?

Video: Larry takes on the F-Word

My father, John Robert Mendte, never cursed. Not even a damn when he stubbed his toe or a hell. In fact, I can't remember him ever saying heck, darn, sugar, fudge or any of the G Rated replacements for common obscenities.

To my Dad, we had enough fine words already. There was no need for such outcast words to make it in to our vocabulary. He had too much respect for the language to cheapen it.

There is a famous story about my father and his aversion to all cursing. He was sitting in our family room watching a football game with my brother and his teenage friends. Something went wrong for the home team and one of my brother's friends cursed. It was a bad one, the F word.

VIDEO: Larry's Take On Chatting Behind the Wheel

Tonight's commentary is dedicated to the memory of Morgan Lee Pena.

After hearing her story, I can't imagine anyone would talk on a cell phone or text while they drive.

Morgan Lee Pena was two and a half when she died in a car accident outside of Philadelphia. It is her story that prompted state after state to make it illegal to drive while talking on a cell phone.

The following is a excerpt of a letter from Morgan's mother to the web site Car Talk:

My name is Patricia Pena and I am a 29-year-old mother with an empty lap and a dreadfully aching heart. I have to tell you about my baby.

Her name was Morgan Lee Pena and she was two and a half years old.

A man whose attention was not on the road or on the vehicle he was driving, but instead on the phone call he was making, ran a stop sign at 45 mph, broadsided my vehicle and killed Morgan as she sat in her car seat.

OH, MY GOD, NOT MY BABY. I just started screaming.

I spent the night at Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania. They said that Morgan had the worst head injury they had ever seen on a child her age. I watched my baby die right in front of my eyes.

In the following days the assistant district attorney informed me that the other driver would not be charged in the accident. The most they could do was give him a $50 fine and two traffic tickets, which he would receive in the mail. The points incurred are not even enough to warrant a suspension on his license. The DA said simply, "There is no law in the state of Pennsylvania that punishes ordinary negligence behind the wheel when the result is death." My husband and I were outraged. He would have gotten in more trouble if he had just threatened to kill my daughter; since he really did kill her and blamed it on his cell phone, he walks away. It's all perfectly legal.

I knew I could not let my baby's horrific death go unanswered. I now knew what God wanted me to do. I was to speak up and do everything in my power to prevent this from happening ever again. I started calling, mailing, e-mailing people. I spoke to reporters and anyone else who would listen. I also was sharing the research I compiled with local lawmakers and the media. Then, within less than two months, the local municipality where the accident occurred became the second municipality in the nation to pass a law banning the use of hand-held phones while driving.

I'm not going to ignore it. I tell people that I have a new full-time job now, and it's one that I'll never quit.

Sincerely,

Patricia N. Pena
patriciapena@msn.com

I am not certain that laws work. But the picture of Morgan Lee Pena and her story just might. That's why I am showing it tonight. In hopes that people will o the right thing.

You can learn more about Morgan Lee Pena, by clicking here.

And read the entire letter from her mother, by clicking here.

Watch tonight and I'll be online to chat.

VIDEO: Outraged About the Outrage

Last night I did a commentary about people who text and talk on the phone while driving.

In the middle of the report, while making a point about personal freedom, I made a joke about Richard Simmons.

No I have nothing at all against Richard Simmons. I find him entertaining. I admire his weight loss and his work at helping others lose weight. I also admire his ability to promote himself, run a business and make a living doing what he loves.

The joke was suggestive in nature and ambiguous on purpose.

It was meant to get a reaction. What I got is outrage.

Now I have no problem having a dialogue with you about the commentaries, as they are a work in progress. I make mistakes and I am learning. But outrage? Really.

I respond on the air tonight. I will be back in an hour to see what you have to say and respond again.

VIDEO: Larry Takes on Botox

Between Hollywood, Washington and Local TV News, the Botox industry is booming.

You can probably tell that I have never tried the Face juice. But I do not at all fault those who do. Women especially, who are unfairly judged on their looks and age, have seen their careers last longer because Botox and other cosmetic procedures.

It used to be that men could sit on the anchor chair forever. but women were finished by the time they were 40. As Leslie Stahl once said, "Every local news team in the country looks like a second marriage."

That is not the case anymore. It is becoming much more common for women to last on the air as long as men. Unfortunately, in our shallow country, much of the reason is cosmetic treatments.

Still, it is great that we are not losing the experience and talent of wonderful women journalists for the wrong reasons anymore.

Tonight I have a little fun with the Botox Phenom. It is still difficult to believe that many people are injecting - what amounts to a poison - in their faces.

I should point out that it is not just women - even male politicians like John Kerry and Joe Biden are on the juice.

Facial expressions do seem to suffer.

I'll take facial expressions over wrinkles any day - but in my business I am in the minority.

Enjoy tonight's commentary and please watch Monday when I talk about Colonoscopies.

VIDEO: My Scare. Your Reminder.

Recently I had a scare.

My doctor was concerned. I was certain that I had colon cancer.

I felt like an idiot.

I am 53. I should have already had a colonoscopy.

53 was the same age that the great film critic Joel Seigel went in to have his colonoscopy. After a 10-year bout with colon cancer he died at 63.

He spent his last year telling everyone to get a colonoscopy at 50. I heard his call and ignored it.

I didn't have a history of cancer in my family. I am in good shape - well - relatively good shape. And besides, what a hassle.

Then came the scare. And i thought of my two young children and how I wouldn't be there for them as I had planned.

I have four children in total. Stacia is 27. Jonathan is 25. Michael is 5. And Davis is 3. It is the two little ones I thought about. But my thoughtlessness would effect my entire family.

How could I be so selfish?

And so I went. And that is the focus of my commentary tonight.

Don't worry it is not gross - it is even funny in parts.

But I do hope that it prods you to get your colonoscopy, especially of you are over 50. And if you have a history of cancer in your family, over 40.

I will be on later to read comments and respond.

VIDEO: We Must Never Forget

There are 200,000 brave men and women right now standing fortress for America in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Remember them?

We need to think about them more and appreciate what they are going through in service to country.

The media is not helping. It used to be that every night on the evening news we would remember those who gave their lived for this country, complete with pictures and interviews. No more.

I want to change that.

The Tribune company has handed me a wonderful opportunity. Two minutes on the air to talk about whatever i want. Tonight and every week I want to talk about the people we we should never ever forget.

I will be back here at 11 to respond to you - please leave comments.

VIDEO: LAME POLITICAL EXCUSES

My commentary tonight is on political excuses and specifically the lame excuses we hear these days.

I videotaped my commentary on Monday at the Square Diner in Soho.

So I taped if BEFORE the Eric Massa show on FoxNews and Larry King. I am bummed that I do not tape again until tomorrow because I have a great bit for the Massa scandal. I am certain that one of the Late Night comedians or one of the guys on the Comedy Channel will do it before I get a chance to.

Grrrrrrrr.

Anyway, I am going to do it either way for tomorrow night.

I will tell you what the bit was tomorrow.

Enjoy tonight - and as always I will answer your comments on this blog later.

VIDEO: A HUMOROUS COMMENTARY ON ERIC MASSA

Well, tonight I think it is my duty to offer a commentary on New York Congressman Eric Massa.

His spiraling self-destruction is cringe worthy. And in the last 48 hours it is easy to start to feel sorry for him.

I am hoping you don't feel so sorry for him that you can't laugh tonight.

I am entitling the commentary "Lessons on How Not to Handle a Political Scandal" with Eric Massa.

I could not help bringing back the same joke from last night with the Trains, Plane and Automobiles joke. Just because I think that clip is so funny.

Then I put in my favorite bit. The one my wife thought of yesterday and I was afraid it would not last until today. I was so afraid someone else would do it - and they did.

In political cartoons, on The View and on CNN. Sigh.

See if you can spot the bit I am talking about.

VIDEO: STOP THE INSANITY

They are Navy SEALS, the best of the best, members of Seal Team 10, sent to capture the Iraqi terrorist Ahmed Hashim Abed in September 2009.

They did just that.

If you do not know the name Ahmed Hashim Abed, believe me, four American families know him very well - and hate him.

Abed is charged with directing the March 2004 ambush of four Blackwater security guards in the town of Fallujah in which the four were killed, and their bodies mutilated, burned, and hung from a bridge.

Unbelievably, the three heroic Navy SEALS who captured this monster are now being court-martialed because Abed claims that at some point in the capture and interrogation process, they treated him a bit roughly; the charges against the SEALs also allege they made false statements about that treatment.

It was Major General Charles T. Cleveland who signed off on the charges and he should be ashamed of himself. The insanity of the situation must have jihadis everywhere wondering gleefully just what are the criteria Americans are using these days for promotion to general.

And believe me - this "lawfare" by extremists come right out of the terrorist handbook. The use of our democratic system and the rule of law by those whose intent is to destroy our civilization is a cynical tactic that Americans ought to be smart enough to see straight through.

The American Constitution gave us a system that protects the natural rights of citizens from abuse by government; those inalienable rights are the inheritance of all Americans. They were never intended to apply to barbarians, much less illegal enemy combatants, who are not American citizens, and who reject and seek to destroy civilized society wherever it may be found.

From captured al-Qaeda documents, including its infamous and very detailed training manual, it is known that Islamic jihadis are trained to understand and manipulate the U.S. and other Western-style legal systems.

When the U.S. military sends three of our most elite warrior-patriots, our Navy SEALs, to courts martial because an enemy savage, who has committed unspeakable atrocities against American citizens, whined about a bloody lip or being punched in the stomach, that is insanity and a perversion of anything remotely approaching genuine justice.

I outline much of the insanity and hypocrisy in my commentary tonight.

The rule of law and our own democratic legal system are intended to draw a clear distinction between civilization and savagery. Those who trample and make a mockery of these laws, however cleverly, are not equivalent with those of us who cherish those laws and hold dear the system that makes them possible. Barbarians like Ahmed Hashim Abed aren’t worth a single penny of taxpayer money -- much less the careers of three of our finest Navy SEALs.

It is wonderful that so many in Congress and so many citizens have gathered together to insist that all charges be dropped against the Navy Seals. There is a Facebook page of support. I urge you to join the call for charges to be dropped against these brave warriors. So they can once again do what they do best - protect America.

VIDEO: SAY IT WITH ME - I DON'T KNOW

Tonight I deal with a topic that is certain to illicit an emotional response - Global Warming or Climate Change or whatever we are calling it now.

It is amazing to me how fired up people get when the topic comes up. Amazing because, even though people are certain of their positions on the topic, I know that they don't really know.

I also know that I don't really know.

And so why do people argue about it so much.

Tonight I look at the phenomena. And let me set the record straight before you watch the report tonight - I am not saying that Climate Change is not man-made - and I'm not saying it is.

I am saying I don't know. I am saying most people who argue until they are blue in the face don't know.

So how about we all deal with what we agree about on the topic - and we agree about a lot. Actually, we agree about the most important things.

VIDEO: A PROMISE TO REMEMBER

As promised, I am remembering three brave men who died fighting for this country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All three are from comments left on this blog last week.

Sergeant Justin Norton from Rainier, Washington was just 21 when he died in Iraq in 2006. His parents asked me to remember him and I am proud to tonight. To learn more about Justin please, click here.

Several people from Mount Si High School asked that I remember 19 year old Eric Ward from Redmond, Washington, who recently died in Afghanistan and is being laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery this week. Again, I am honored to pay tribute to the young hero. You can read his obituary in the Seattle Times.

Finally, the daughter of First Sergeant Jose Crisostomo wrote and asked that I remember her father. He was killed in August of 2009 by an IED in Afhanistan.

Thank you for telling me about him. You can go to Jose's Tribute site, by clicking here.

Please continue to send me pictures, videos and information. You can send here or to LarryMendte@GMail.Com

We must never forget to sacrifice of those who gave their lives for America.

VIDEO: THE POLITICAL BEAUTY CONTEST

We are seeing TV's influence on politics. More and more pretty people are running for office - and winning.

Barack Obama, Scott Brown, Sarah Palin, Stephanie Herseth, Kirsten Gillibrand and a slew of new young politicians have shaken the stereotype of the homely political wonk.

Scott Brown wins in Massachusetts and got so much attention, much of it because of his looks, that they are ALREADY touting him for President.

It would seem the pretty people are taking over.

You may be thinking that's not a good thing - I mean look at what we got with John Edwards.

Of our last Ten Presidents, historians rank John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan as the top two. So maybe we should give the pretty people a chance.

Tonight I take a fun look at the phenomena.

VIDEO: 542 DAYS

The 10th Anniversary of 9/11 is 542 Days away.

Two things must be done within that time. A new World Trade Center must be built to show that America is resilient.

And Osama Bin Laden must be killed or captured.

If those two things are not done. It will be a failure.

10 years is too long. The fact that there is still a gaping hole in the New York Sky Line and that Osama Bin Laden can breathe free and spew his hate is not acceptable.

542 days. We will keep count and be watching.

VIDEO: The Soda Tax

Several States and Municipalities have tried to pass it and failed, so has the Federal Government. And many more states and cities are talking about it.

It is the hip new, socially relevant tax just in time for an economic recession - the Soda Tax - or I guess in the Midwest - the Pop Tax.

The current campaign against childhood obesity is at the root of the tax.

Before I go off, let me say that childhood obesity is a big problem. And if the soda tax money goes to fund PhysEd programs in schools, health classes and healthy alternatives, then it's a noble cause. But no one is suggesting that.

The money would go into government coffers depleted by recession.

Politicians love these "cause" taxes because if gives them cover. The given reason for the soda tax is that it would keep parents from buying soda or other sweet drinks for their children. And in the next breath the politicians all say how much money the tax would raise to cut their deficits. Well, wait, if it really cuts back consumption then how is it going to make that much money.

They know it won't. It is just a new way to tax.

Again, if the money really went to help in the fight against childhood obesity, I would be all for it.

It won't...or at least no one has proposed that ...but me.

By the way, the tax won't pass because the Soft Drink lobbyists are too good and too powerful.

The politicians will have to find another vice to tax. They are legalizing Marijuana at just the right time.

I watched the Health Care debate in the House of Representatives yesterday when it dawned on me - there are no Independents in the House.

We complain about partisan politics and gridlock - and yet we keep sending two parties back with no Independent middle.

An historic number of people - 40% - are now registered Independent. But that is more a sign of disgust with both parties than a sign of true Independence. The vast majority of those people will still vote Republican or Democrat.

But if there was any year that Independent candidates might have a chance - its this year.

We need Independents to run. It's not too late. In most states, you have until August to get enough signatures to get on the November ballot. It should be pointed out that the party machines make it difficult for Independents - but not impossible.

And the voters and the media need to stop ignoring the Independent candidates.

Nothing will shake up the status quo of two party rule and gridlock than to not vote for either of them. But is has to start with you.

Tonight, as I promised, I am again giving up my time on the air to remember those who have died fighting for us in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the least I can do. If not, I am part of the problem

Tonight we remember "Nick" Crombie from Yuma, Arizona who was killed in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006. He was only 18. John Carp who served with him sent his name to me.

Amanda Strahl sent me the name of Derrick Gwaltney from cape Coral, Florida who died in Iraq in August of last year.

It will be the Supreme Court case of the Hero V. Nut Jobs.

The Supreme Court has agreed to rule on whether a dead soldier’s family can Nut Job religious protesters who picketed near their son’s funeral with signs that said, "Thank God for dead soldiers."

A Maryland jury awarded $5 million in damages to Albert Snyder, whose son Matthew was killed in Iraq in March 2006. He had sued Fred Phelps, the founder of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., who has traveled the country for 20 years leading controversial protests at funerals for American soldiers.

He claims that God hates America because of its tolerance of homosexuality. He and his small group of followers carried protest signs at the funeral in Westminster, Md., that said, “Fag troops,” “God hates the USA” and “God hates fags.”

But a lawyer for Phelps said his protests were not targeted at Lance Corp. Matthew Snyder, the soldier, but more generally at America and the U.S. military. The protesters were kept at a distance from the church and the burial service. Nonetheless, the jury awarded damages to the Snyder family on the grounds that the funeral protests invaded their privacy and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.

In September, however, the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the entire award on free-speech grounds. “Notwithstanding the distasteful and repugnant nature of the words being challenged in these proceedings, we are constrained to concluded that the defendants’ signs are constitutionally protected,” the appeals court said.

Snyder’s family appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the protests had “tarnished” their son’s funeral. “Matthew deserved better. A civilized society deserved better,” they said.

The court announced it had voted to hear the appeal in Snyder vs. Phelps and to rule on whether the right to free speech extended to the right to intrude on a solemn ceremony. The justices will hear arguments in the case in the fall.

I have a suggestion for the Supreme Court on how to deal with these Nut Jobs.

Let me know what you think afte you hear the report.

VIDEO: POLITICAL CRAZIES

We all need to chill!

The rhetoric and anger is now on the brink of violence and everyone has to calm down.

Democrats who voted for the health care bill are being threatened. The FBI is now involved as a gas line was cut and a brick was thrown through a window.

We are better than this. Democracies are set up so that we can vent any discontent in an election. We are able to change government.

If you act crazy, you only make those you want out seem sympathetic - and you make your point of view look crazy.

Don't be a political crazy. Be smart and focused if yoiu want change.

***AN Important update Tonight - Republican Congressman Eric Cantor, one ofn the chief opponents in the Health Care debate, reports that a bullet was shot through his Washington office. He also says he recieved threats - but will not release them so as not to incite more violence. So there are crazies on both sides.

VIDEO: MY SON DROPPED AN F-BOMB...

I can feel for Joe Biden because about 8 hours before he dropped his famous F-bomb at the signing of the health care bill, my son dropped an F-bomb at a birthday party.

He is five years old. He called another child a "Pucker Face." Only he did not say Pucker.

That is my topic tonight.

I wrote a longer article for Philadelphia Magazine on the same topic.

The bottom line is - if we want our children to be pristine with their language - we first must clean up ours.

VIDEO: THE FOG OF WAR

The Fog of War is thick in Iraq.

We send men to kill terrorists and defend America and then we prosecute them for the manner in which they do their job.

First Lieutenant Michael Behenna, is the latest to feel the sting of the perverse military justice now being served in Iraq.

Behenna is serving time in prison for murder. Before he was charged the Lieutenant had an empeccable record and was on the fast track to a higher rank.

That all ended in May 2008, when a suspected member of an al-Qaeda cell, Ali Mansur, was linked to an attack on the young Army Ranger’s platoon, which killed two U.S. soldiers and injured two more under Lt. Behenna’s command.

Behenna captured Mansur and brought him in fo interrogation. For some unfathomable reason, Army intelligence ordered that Mansur be released and ordered Lt. Behenna, who was then 24, to escort the terrorist to his home.

On the way, Lt. Behenna questioned Mansur in an effort to learn additional information about other members of the terrorist cell, as well as who was financing it. During the interrogation, Lt. Behnna says Mansur attacked attacked him. Behenna says he killed the suspected terrorist in self-defense.

The Military prsecuted Behenna for premeditated murder and cast Mansur as the victim. They charged Behenna with premeditated murder. the comes with a death sentence. The jury found him guilty of non- premeditated murder and game him 25 years

That has been reduced by military brass to 15.

A website has been establishged to help Lt. Behenna — www.defendmichael.com..

On February 23, Behenna went on trial. During the trial:

• The government argued that Lt. Behenna executed Mansur while he was sitting on a rock, while Lt. Behenna said that he shot in self defense after stood up and tried to reach for the Lieutenant’s gun during the interrogation.

• A government expert, an Iraqi doctor who performed the autopsy, said that the bullets had a horizontal trajectory, suggesting a direct confrontation and not a scenario in which a defenseless Mansur sat helplessly on a rock while a standing Lt. Behenna shot him at a downward angle. In fact, both government and defense experts agreed on the trajectory of the bullets that killed Mansur.

• In short order, the prosecution decided not to call to the stand another government expert, Dr. Herbert MacDonnell, but instead sent him home. But not before Dr. MacDonell told Lt. Behenna’s defense attorney that he would have been a good witness for the defense.

• While Dr. MacDonnell was picking up his coat in the prosecution room on his way out of the courthouse, he told the three prosecutors: “The explanation that Lt. Behenna just testified to was the exact same scenario I told you yesterday. Lt Behenna is telling the truth.”

• Referring to Dr. MacDonnell’s statement that he would have been a good witness, the defense counsel, Jack Zimmermann, asked the prosecutors if they had any exculpatory evidence that should be provided to the defense. (This is evidence favorable to the defendant in a criminal trial, which clears or tends to clear the defendant of guilt.) But the prosecutors denied having any such evidence despite having been told by their own expert witness that Lt. Behenna’s explanation was the only logical explanation of the events that had transpired.

• Because this evidence was withheld, the prosecutors were able to argue that Lt. Behenna executed Ali Mansur while the “victim” was seated on a rock — in spite of the testimony of forensic experts, including Dr. MacDonnell, who agreed that Mr. Mansur was standing with his arms outstretched when he was shot.

• On February 27, Lt. Behenna was convicted of unpremeditated murder and assault by a military panel of seven officers — none of whom were combat arms.

• Following the trial, Dr. MacDonnell contacted the prosecutors again, asking that the information he provided them be given to the defense.

• After Dr. MacDonnell’s e-mail was provided to the defense counsel, Mr. Zimmermann moved for a mistrial.

• Judge Theodore E. Dixon promptly ordered both sides in the case to file briefs relating to a possible mistrial, and, after reading the briefs, set a date for an additional hearing and ordered additional briefs, including one from the defense requesting a new trial.

• But on March 20, Judge Dixon denied the defense motions to declare a mistrial and to order a new trial and sentenced Lt. Behenna to serve 25 years in Leavenworth penitentiary.

Lt. Behenna’s attorneys are appealing the verdict. It is Vicki Behenna’s understanding that the General of the 101st Airborne will review Michael’s case in the next several weeks, in which case he can set aside the findings of guilt, order a new trial, or reduce Michael’s sentence. After the General’s decision, Michael’s case will be docketed in the appellate court, a process that can take from one to three years for the appeal to be heard.

There are those who believe that Michael was “sacrificed” for political reasons. Is it possible that the motive for failing to provide the exculpatory information had anything to do with our military’s desire to be able to tell the Iraqi government that they had convicted an officer, the better to actualize some kind of quid pro quo arrangement or smooth over some ruffled feathers?

In my opinion, it’s a miscarriage of justice for a soldier who is fighting for the Constitutional rights we hold dear — the right to due process and a fair trial — to be denied those rights in his own trial! And what about the demoralization this causes other U.S. troops, who continue to fight on behalf of the freedom and security of our nation? Whether they are U.S. border patrol agents, members of the armed forces, or FBI agents, no individual who is serving on the frontlines in the War on Terror should be afforded anything less than a fair trial.

The Behennas and their many supporters have mobilized to help Michael and they urge everyone to contact his or her elected official to make sure that justice is done

In May of 2008, a suspected member of an al-Qaeda cell, Ali Mansur, was suspected of having organized an attack on the young Army Ranger’s platoon, which killed two U.S. soldiers and injured two more under Lt. Behenna’s command. BehennaFor some unfathomable reason, Army intelligence ordered that Mansur be released and ordered Lt. Behenna, who was then 24, to escort the terrorist to his home.

On the way, Lt. Behenna questioned Mansur in an effort to learn additional information about other members of the terrorist cell, as well as who was financing it. During the interrogation, Mr. Mansur attacked Lt. Behenna, who killed the terrorist in self-defense.

But instead of expressing relief that one of their own had survived the attack, the government cast Mansur as the “victim” and prosecuted Lt. Behenna for premeditated murder! The following timeline was taken, in part, from the Web site that has been established in support of Lt. Behenna — www.defendmichael.com — and confirmed by his mother, Vicki.

On the site you will find several problems with the military trial including the fact that the prosecution hid a key witness who would have helped Behenna's case.

There is now call for a new trial. And I have an idea where they could hold it in my next commentary.

Let me know what you think.

VIDEO: MORE FACES OF FREEDOM

I am so proud that the company is giving me the Freedom to pay tribute to heroes. We have three more servicemen tonight who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I used people who came to this blog and told me about a loved one who died. Thank you for sharing that memory with me so that I could share it with America.

People need to know about the sacrifice for our Freedom. they need to see the faces. Especially since the war in Afghanistan is heating up.

57 troops have been killed there in the first three months of this year compared to 28 last year with 30 thousand more troops on the way to bring the total in Afghanistan to almost 100 thousand.

So far, 4,386 American Servicemen have been killed in Iraq. 1,029 have been killed in Afghanistan

VIDEO: THE 117 WORDS WE CANNOT SAY ON TV

It is an edict from on high.

The CEO and President of Tribune Broadcasting, Randy Michaels, has complied a list of 117 over-used phrases and words that we are not allowed to use anymore at Tribune stations, including WPIX in New York.

The words are near and dear to an anchor and reporters heart. So before we bury them for good, I decided to try and use them all in a commentary.

I put on my anchor outfit and sit at the desk to get say all 117 for the very last time.

Now, if it does not sound strange to you as they come out of my mouth - then we got you used to some bad language and it proves Randy Michael's point. It is anchor speak. Most people do not use these terms in everyday speech. And since our goal is to communicate - we should at least speak your language.

An now that you know the words - you can keep track of how much the reporters and anchors screw up and report back to me.

That is if I still have a job after using all of the 117 banned words.