ess than two months after the space shuttle Columbia exploded in the skies over a number of western American states, a Gallup poll reveals that at least 87% of all citizens don't even remember that it happened. Six percent said that they recall "something like that sort of happening a while back, or whatever," and another seven percent simply replied "Huh?"

"It was the gravest and most important news of the moment. Americans everywhere felt a profound sense of grief at that tragic loss, at least until more important events occurred," said FOX anchorman Brit Hume. "It was humbling, at the time, to experience such a stirring loss for our nation, but it was understandably forgotten when the Michael Jackson interview aired, and 'American Idol' returned to TV, and after we declared war on France and, uh... oh yeah, Iraq."

"We at CNN are dedicated to forging the path to the truth of these mortifying events and exposing the cause for as long as it takes," CNN anchor Shepherd Smith pointed out. "But that was provided there were no new developments in the DC sniper hearings, or Martha Stewart didn't set her Imclone stock on fire. And, as everyone knows, there were a lot of breaking stories in the days following the Challenger explosion, including- What? The Columbia? When?"

MSNBC reporter Victoria Corderi added with a giggle that she couldn't recall "even the tiniest detail of that story now. I can tell you where I had my hair done last week, though. And I can name all fifty state capitals. Want to hear? There's Augusta, and there's Birmingham, and there's... wait, is it Birmingham? Oh yeah, and I think Atlanta, or does that take the place of Augusta...? And there's definitely Albany. Definitely Albany. There's Sacramento, too, but wait, I'm getting out of order..."

Systems analyst Prudy Righteous, of Hellflung, Arizona, responded to the Gallup poll, and told pollsters that she thought she remembered something about finding a big pile of twisted metal wreckage and what appeared to be a scattering of human remains while vacationing at her parents' ranch in west Texas, but that "It all seems like a blur to me now. You know how you have those funny kind of wakey dreams, where everything seems so real, like aliens standing over your bed and anal-probing you, but you don't really remember it in the morning? It was kind of like that."

Another respondent, unemployed seasonal worker Manuel Shorthoe, of Reamer, Nevada, said that he thought he saw something bright streaking across the sky a couple months back, but added that "You guys prob'ly shouldn't pay much attention to that. I see that kind of stuff while staring at the ceiling in my living room all the time. You know. But hey, did you catch that Michael Jackson interview? Man, that guy is like a total freakin' freak, you know what I'm saying?"

When asked if they thought the shuttle program should continue in light of the now-forgotten tragedy, a full 90% responded "Heck yeah! How else are we going to get to the airport? You know how much long term parking costs there?"

Because the number of people sampled was much higher than usual -- a whopping 57,392 people responded, probably because they were all promised that Bill Gates would send them a check and a gift certificate to the Gap if they did so -- the margin for error was set at approximately plus or minus 14%.

s another step forward in the country's re-constitutionalizing, the president decreed that it was acceptable for health officials to quarantine anyone suspected of having the SARS flu, an epidemic which has killed more than 120 people worldwide. The largest number of victims have so far been in Hong Kong, a nation renowned for people who do their own stunts.

When questioned if the administration had the power to approve such orders, large masked men detained the reporter violently and he was dragged screaming into a back room of the West Wing. Remaining correspondents looked away and tried not to make eye contact.

SARS, which may or may not stand for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, is reaching epidemic proportions in some areas of the world. Already international flights have brought suspected SARS carriers to the United States and allowed the spread of the disease across the Atlantic and Pacific and other oceans.

Also reaching epidemic proportions, according to the Bush administration: Mouthy celebrities.

A week after his April 4 SARS quarantine executive order, Bush issued another order that allowed for temporary restraint of celebrities showing dissent on the subject of the Iraq war. Federal agents moved quickly to tranquilize Michael Moore in his New York home and seize any possible sardonic footage accrued for a future documentary.

Though no other celebrities have been selected for quarantine as of yet, many are under strict warning to reduce symptoms of celebrity activism or face forced isolation. Talk show appearances and awards shows will be monitored especially close for signs of infective dissent.

Among the most closely watched celebrities are notorious leftist opposition and those who have recent displayed insurgent opinions prior to the start of the war. Martin Sheen will still appear on NBC's drama The West Wing, but all other appearances are subject to administration approval. Those in fear of the contagious verbosity of Sheen or other actors can have their televisions adapted with special chips that sense liberal claptrap and automatically switch the channel to Fox News.

Other precautions have been taken as well. An anniversary showing of Bull Durham at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown was called off when former Reagan aid and Hall of Fame president Peretsky worried about the communicable ideas of film stars Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. Also not recommended for viewing is The Banger Sisters, but the administration affirms it is for entirely different reasons.

The most surprising addition to the list of possibly infected celebrities in the past month was Texas' own the Dixie Chicks, but an investigation has begun to root out the cause of the band's newfound radicalism. Early indications suggest that the Dixie Chicks played a venue after the Beastie Boys within the past six months and singer Natalie Manes may have had close contact with a microphone used by Ad-Rock.

The administration assures the public that SARS and activist quarantines are not expected to last longer than a few months, but then asks what we would do about it even if they were.

So apparently there's a war of some sort going on. I mean, I knew about it, just like in high school. I knew it was going on, even if I couldn't tell you where it is or who all is involved. Who knew it was going to affect me at any point in time?

Yessir, bob, this war has claimed another victim: My TV show.

I got a call from Dusty last Monday telling me that UPN decided to delay airing Archipelago Law until after the war was over. Like anybody knows when that will be. It won't be before May, at least, and the network won't air the show during sweeps since they can get bigger ratings with Family Matters syndicated re-runs. So I'm up a sewage-heavy creek and not about to paddle with my hands.

This is just like war. When that guy sings what is it good for, hey brother, I hear ya. Every time I'm in a movie there's some war movie that comes out and beats us at the box office or gets higher ratings on the TV. Every time I have a boyfriend and talk him into going to the movies we have to see some stupid war movie, even if it's a mob war or a gang war or some small kind of war movie. And now war is interfering with my big comeback show. Way to go, war.

I'm sure the people of Iraqistan are grateful there's a war going on there, they get all the free publicity they could use and every time we have a war we pay for it afterwards 'cause we're such good sports, but it doesn't help me at all. I don't care what kind of government they have—Republican, Democrat—it's none of my business. But when fuzzy green shots of tanks and missiles and oil fires are airing when I'm supposed to be running around in a grass skirt and coconut bra on the TV, then it's my business.

Unlike a lot of things, I'm not taking this lying down. Yep, I've taken a political stand for the first time in my life and joined a group of protestors. They weren't as hard to find as you might think, either, these folks were right in front of the commune. They must feel strongly about whatever it is they believe in because they've been out front of our building for months now.

Don't be a Ramrod Hurley and bitch me out because I don't know what the group I'm involved with is for or against. I'm too busy protesting to ask questions. Yeah, I guess I could read a sign and find out, if I was really boring and liked wasting my time. I joined a protest group, not a book club. If they're protesting they must be against war, right? So we'll get this war stopped sooner or later. I'm making history and producing social change, folks.

I don't know why there are pictures of Omar Bricks on the signs, but near as I can figure it Omar must have taken some kind of harsh pro-war stance that pisses these dudes off. That's cool, me and Bricks don't have to agree on everything. I just hope our divergent political interests don't keep him from inviting me to luaus in the future, 'cause that guy throws some kick-ass luaus.

I'm not stopping at carrying a sign around in a circle either. I'm going to get my mom out here to carry a sign, too. Sooner or later, right now the timing hasn't worked out well. Most of the protests happen in the daytime, and that's when she watches TV.

Feel our grievances, America. In the shouted words of our radical group: "He must be brought to justice!"

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