Six Months on an Aircraft CARRIER. How would YOU do?

Okay, I don’t know about you, but I’m not crazy about sharing my personal space with a lot of other folks. It’s not that I don’t like people, it’s just that I want some territory to call my own. Wiggle room. Crowd the human race, and the rats-in-a-cage syndrome starts to kick in… which is why, when I started learning that 5,000 Navy personnel and 85 military aircraft are all crowded together onto a nuclear aircraft carrier, in this case the USS Nimitz, I started getting that skin-crawly feeling. I give great respect to those who do it, but it’s obviously not a job for me. Especially if you’re sleeping UNDER a runway, and on TOP of a nuclear reactor!

Then again, honestly, I had never thought much about the ins and outs of aircraft carriers before. To me they had gone out, done their job, and come home. Looking back, what I knew about carriers was pretty much informed by TOP GUN. Sad and scary, I know. But CARRIER is better. FAR better. It airs five nights-in-a-row, Sunday, April 27 - Thursday, May 1 at 9:00 p.m.

Real people. Edge-of-your-seat, nonfiction drama, and a total immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. My kind of stories! Getting to know people up and down the chain of command. Those 5 nights provide a raw and personal look at life inside the Navy. CARRIER was shot May to Nov. 2005, during a full six-month deployment.

Six MONTHS at sea…in confined spaces. Definitely not my cup of tea. But it makes for great TV.

This week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS

How would you describe race relations here in New Mexico? We have a diverse history here in our state that includes strong ties to both Mexico and Spain. And, we cannot forget the influece of our Native American communities on the overall cultrual melting pot that is the Land of Enchantment. In fact, many people would say that our diversty makes us a much more integrated state. But does that mean there are no racial tensions here?

On the week's NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, we begin a candid conversation on racial issues in New Mexico, including how those issue play into the upcoming presidential election. Barack Obama encouraged us all to open up new dialogues in race, during his landmark "A More Perfect Union Speech". We hope to help facilitate that conversation through this episode, which features opinions and insight from "everyday" New Mexicans. We would love to hear what you think about the issue. Tune in Friday night at 7pm, then drop us a line on our website.

Hope to see you then!

This week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS

Kermit was always fond of saying "It's not easy being green", but that may be changing here in New Mexico, at least when it comes to green building.

New research finds that nearly two-thirds of homebuyers are now aware of green building practices. And, nearly 40% of all home renovations now involve some sort of green product or green building technique, whether it be better insulation, using more recycled products, or installing more efficient windows.

In honor of Earth Day, NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS will look at the green building movement here in the Land of Enchantment. We'll talk to local experts who are leading a national movement toward more environmentally friendly construction practices. We'll also introduce you to a local business that is cashing in on the green building industry. And, we'll tour two Rio Rancho schools that are currently under construction and will set new standards for green building here in our state.

It's a jam-packed show that you won't want to miss, Friday night at 7pm, here on KNME.

Harry Potter Comes To KNME - Daniel Radcliffe stars as Rudyard Kipling’s son in a new MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “My Boy Jack”- Sunday 4/20 at 8:00 pm

It’s odd to see Daniel Radcliffe in roles other than Harry Potter. Sure he’s an actor, and it’s expected, but it’s a little like watching your kid brother grow up. Interesting, if vaguely unsettling. (A bit like watching “Equus,” no doubt, for which he received great reviews last year on the London stage.) It’s even odder when the English-born (who knew?) Kim Cattrall, the quintessential sultry New Yorker from “Sex and the City,” plays his brunette Mom, in an understated role clearly showing her range. This is not sexy Samantha, but a mother who lives in fear for her son. And that’s what makes MASTERPIECE so great! One gets to watch good actors, with good material, really doing their thing!

Radcliffe plays John “Jack” Kipling, the only son of Rudyard Kipling (“The Jungle Book”/”Just So Stories”), as a young man obsessed with serving his country and escaping from the shadow of his famous father, in “My Boy Jack.” Underage and hopelessly nearsighted at the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Jack desperately wants to join the fight, but Kipling Sr. has to pull strings to get his son into the army. Jack is in a frontline unit, goes missing, and is presumed injured. It is only over the years, through the recollections of shell-shocked survivors, that the story of his fate emerges. David Haig ("Four Weddings and a Funeral"), who plays Kipling also wrote the screenplay. Carey Mulligan (“Bleak House,”“Jane Austen-Northanger Abbey”) plays Jack’s protective older sister, Elsie.

Rudyard Kipling was the most beloved English author of the day. “It is impossible to overemphasize [Kipling’s] status in 1914,” Haig wrote recently. “He was the voice of the empire, he had the ear of the king and the prime minister, and was as globally popular (and, incidentally, as wealthy) as J. K. Rowling is today.”

MASTERPIECE CLASSIC “My Boy Jack” - Sunday 4/20 at 8:00 – 10:00 pm on KNME, Channel 5

Evy Todd, KNME New Media

This week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS

This is a picture of the moving and poignant Bataan Death March Memorial in Las Cruces. Many of you probably already know, but New Mexico was hit especially hard by this dark time in U.S. History. Of the 12,000 American troops in the Phillipines at the start of World War II, 1,800 of them were members of the New Mexico National Guard. It was 66-years ago this week that the U.S. troops in the Phillipines surrendered to Japan. Many of them were forced to walk the Bataan Death March, over 60 miles in tough conditions and with a full load on their backs. At least 6,000 U.S. troops died in the march, and many other didn't survive the prison camps that were their destination.

This week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, join us as we pay tribute to these brave National Guard Members. We'll talk with several surviving Bataan Vets, and take you to a special memorial held in their honor. We also talk with Veterans Affairs Secretary John Garcia about the Vets legacy.

Also ahead on the show, THE LINE panelists sound off on General David Petreaus's latest update on Iraq, the race for the first congressional district here in New Mexico, as well as the progress on Spaceport America.

Join us Friday night at 7pm, or again Sunday morning at 6:30am, and as always thanks for watching!

This week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS

The barrage of criticism continues for Governor Bill Richardson, over his endorsement of Barack Obama for the democratic nomination for President. The latest attacker? None other than former President Bill Clinton, who nominated Bill Richardson for both UN Ambassador and Secretary of Energy. Ahead this week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, a closer look at Bill Richardson's impact on the presidential race long after his decision to exit the campaign.

Also on tap this week, the state of behavioral health in New Mexico. As a state, we face a lot of challenges in the area of mental health. For instance, we rank 49th for the number of suicides per capita. There are an estimated 400,000 New Mexicans that are dealing with a susbtance abuse problem. We'll take a closer look at the behavioral health care system in our state, and find out how it might be impacted by talk of massive health care reform.

There's a lot more in store as well, including the belt-tightening going on at the Albuquerque City Hall, word that Mayor Martin Chavez can run for a third consecutive term in office, and the water outlook for our state as we head into the hot summer months. All this and more, Friday night at 7pm, here on KNME.