World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, ''worldwide'', i.e. anywhere on Earth.

In a philosophical context it may refer to: (1) the whole of the physical Universe, or (2) an ontological world (''see world disclosure''). In a theological context, ''world'' usually refers to the material or the profane sphere, as opposed to the celestial, spiritual, transcendent or sacred. The "end of the world" refers to scenarios of the final end of human history, often in religious contexts.

World history is commonly understood as spanning the major geopolitical developments of about five millennia, from the first civilizations to the present.

World population is the sum of all human populations at any time; similarly, world economy is the sum of the economies of all societies (all countries), especially in the context of globalization. Terms like world championship, gross world product, world flags etc. also imply the sum or combination of all current-day sovereign states.

In terms such as world religion, world language, and world war, ''world'' suggests international or intercontinental scope without necessarily implying participation of the entire world.

In terms such as world map and world climate, ''world'' is used in the sense detached from human culture or civilization, referring to the planet Earth physically.

Etymology and Usage

The English word ''world'' comes from the Old English ''weorold (-uld), weorld, worold (-uld, -eld)'', a compound of ''wer'' "man" and ''eld'' "age," which thus means roughly "Age of Man." The Old English is a reflex of the Common Germanic ''*wira-alđiz'', also reflected in Old Saxon ''werold'', Old High German ''weralt'', Old Frisian ''warld'' and Old Norse ''verǫld'' (whence the Icelandic ''veröld'').

The corresponding word in Latin ''mundus'', literally "clean, elegant", itself a loan translation of Greek ''cosmos'' "orderly arrangement." While the Germanic word thus reflects a mythological notion of a "domain of Man" (compare Midgard), presumably as opposed to the divine sphere on the one hand and the chthonic sphere of the underworld on the other, the Greco-Latin term expresses a notion of creation as an act of establishing order out of chaos.

'World' distinguishes the entire planet or population from any particular country or region: ''world affairs'' pertain not just to one place but to the whole world, and ''world history'' is a field of history that examines events from a global (rather than a national or a regional) perspective. ''Earth'', on the other hand, refers to the planet as a physical entity, and distinguishes it from other planets and physical objects.

'''World''' can also be used attributively, to mean 'global', 'relating to the whole world', forming usages such as world community or world canonical texts.

By extension, a '''world''' may refer to any planet or heavenly body, especially when it is thought of as inhabited, especially in the context of science fiction or futurology.

'''World''', in original sense, when qualified, can also refer to a particular domain of human experience.

The ''world of work'' describes paid work and the pursuit of career, in all its social aspects, to distinguish it from home life and academic study.

The ''fashion world'' describes the environment of the designers, fashion houses and consumers that make up the fashion industry.

historically, the ''New World'' vs. the ''Old World'', referring to the parts of the world colonized in the wake of the age of discovery. Now mostly used in zoology and botany, as New World monkey.

Philosophy

In philosophy, the term world has several possible meanings. In some contexts, it refers to everything that makes up reality or the physical universe. In others, it can mean have a specific ontological sense (see world disclosure). While clarifying the concept of world has arguably always been among the basic tasks of Western philosophy, this theme appears to have been raised explicitly only at the start of the twentieth century and has been the subject of continuous debate. The question of what the world is has by no means been settled.

;Parmenides The traditional interpretation of Parmenides' work is that he argued that the every-day perception of reality of the physical world (as described in doxa) is mistaken, and that the reality of the world is 'One Being' (as described in aletheia): an unchanging, ungenerated, indestructible whole.

;Plato In his Allegory of the Cave, Plato distingues between forms and ideas and imagines two distinct worlds : the sensible world and the intelligible world.

;Hegel In Hegel's philosophy of history, the expression ''Weltgeschichte ist Weltgericht'' (World History is a tribunal that judges the World) is used to assert the view that History is what judges men, their actions and their opinions. Science is born from the desire to transform the World in relation to Man ; its final end is technical application.

;Schopenhauer ''The World as Will and Representation'' is the central work of Arthur Schopenhauer. Schopenhauer saw the human will as our one window to the world behind the representation; the Kantian thing-in-itself. He believed, therefore, that we could gain knowledge about the thing-in-itself, something Kant said was impossible, since the rest of the relationship between representation and thing-in-itself could be understood by analogy to the relationship between human will and human body.

;Wittgenstein Two definitions that were both put forward in the 1920s, however, suggest the range of available opinion. "The world is everything that is the case," wrote Ludwig Wittgenstein in his influential ''Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus'', first published in 1922. This definition would serve as the basis of logical positivism, with its assumption that there is exactly one world, consisting of the totality of facts, regardless of the interpretations that individual people may make of them.

;Heidegger Martin Heidegger, meanwhile, argued that "the surrounding world is different for each of us, and notwithstanding that we move about in a common world". The world, for Heidegger, was that into which we are always already "thrown" and with which we, as beings-in-the-world, must come to terms. His conception of "world disclosure" was most notably elaborated in his 1927 work ''Being and Time''.

;Freud In response, Freud proposed that we do not move about in a common world, but a common thought process. He believed that all the actions of a person is motivated by one thing: lust. This led to numerous theories about reactionary consciousness.

;Other Some philosophers, often inspired by David Lewis, argue that metaphysical concepts such as possibility, probability and necessity are best analyzed by comparing ''the'' world to a range of possible worlds; a view commonly known as modal realism.

Religion and mythology

Mythological cosmologies often depict the world as centered around an axis mundi and delimited by a boundary such as a world ocean, a world serpent or similar.

See also

Globe

List of sovereign states

Universe

References

External links

Category:Earth

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Name	Jesse Ventura
Order	38th
Office	Governor of Minnesota
Term start	January 8, 1999
Term end	January 6, 2003
Lieutenant	Mae Schunk
Predecessor	Arne Carlson
Successor	Tim Pawlenty
Office2	Mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Term start2	1991
Term end2	1995
Birthname	James George Janos
Birth date	July 15, 1951
Birth place	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Spouse	Terry Ventura
Children	Tyrel VenturaJade Ventura
Profession	US Navy UDTProfessional WrestlerColor commentatorActorTalk Show hostPoliticianAuthor
Party	Reform Party (1999–2000)Independence Party of Minnesota (2000–present)
Religion	Atheist
Branch	United States Navy
Serviceyears	1969–1975
Rank	Petty Officer Third Class
Unit	UDT 12SEAL Team 1 (Reserve)
Awards	National Defense Service MedalVietnam Service Medal }}

James George Janos (born July 15, 1951), better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host. As a professional wrestler, he is best known for his nickname, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and tenure in the World Wrestling Federation as a combatant and color commentator. In 2004, he was inducted into the company's Hall of Fame.

In the Minnesota gubernatorial election of 1998, running as a member of the Reform Party, he was elected the 38th Governor of Minnesota and served from January 4, 1999, to January 6, 2003, without seeking a second term.

Early life

Ventura was born James George Janos in Minneapolis, the son of Bernice Martha (née Lenz) and George William Janos, both of whom were World War II veterans. His father's parents were from what is today Slovakia, and his mother was of German descent. Ventura has described himself as Slovak. Ventura was raised a Lutheran. Ventura (then still using his legal name of Janos) attended the now-closed Cooper Elementary School and graduated from Minneapolis' Roosevelt High School in 1969.

Navy career

From September 11, 1969, to September 10, 1975, during the Vietnam War era, Ventura served in the United States Navy. Ventura graduated with BUD/S class 58 in December 1970 and was part of Underwater Demolition Team 12 (UDT). The UDTs were merged with the US Navy SEALs in 1983, 8 years after Ventura had left the Navy.

Bill Salisbury, an attorney in San Diego and a former Navy SEAL officer, accused Ventura of "pretending" to be a SEAL and wrote that Ventura would be blurring an important distinction by claiming to be a SEAL when he was actually a frogman with the UDT. Compared to SEAL Teams, UDTs saw less combat and took fewer casualties. Following that, Governor Ventura's office confirmed that Ventura was a member of the UDTs. His spokesman stated that Ventura has never tried to convince people otherwise. Ventura stated: "Today we refer to all of us as SEALs; that's all it is."

Ventura has frequently referred to his military career in public statements and debates. He was criticized by hunters and conservationists for stating in an interview with the Minneapolis StarTribune in April 2001, "Until you have hunted men, you haven't hunted yet."

In January 2002, Ventura, who had never specifically claimed to have ''fought'' in Vietnam, disclosed for the first time that he did not see combat. He did not receive the Combat Action Ribbon, which was awarded to those involved in a firefight or who went on clandestine or special operations where the risk of enemy fire was great or expected.

Post Navy

In 1973, Ventura was released from active duty and enrolled with the Naval Reserves, at which point he was assigned to SEAL Team 1.

In the fall of 1974, Ventura left the bike club to return to Minnesota. Shortly after his leaving, the Mongols entered into open warfare with their rivals the Hells Angels.

In Minnesota Ventura attended North Hennepin Community College in the mid-1970s. At the same time, he began weightlifting and wrestling. He was a bodyguard for The Rolling Stones for a short time before he ventured into professional wrestling and changed his name.

Professional wrestling career

Name	Jesse Ventura
Names	Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Height	-
Weight
Birth date	July 15, 1951
Birth place	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Billed	Brooklyn Park, MinnesotaSan Diego, California
Trainer	Eddie Sharkey
Debut	October 1975
Retired	1986
Website	}}

Early career

He created the stage name Jesse "The Body" Ventura to go with the persona of a bully-ish beach bodybuilder, picking the name "Ventura" from a map as part of his "bleach blond from California" character. As a wrestler, Ventura performed as a villain and often used the motto "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!" Much of his flamboyant persona was adapted from "Superstar" Billy Graham, a charismatic and popular performer during the 1970s and '80s. Years later, as a broadcaster, Ventura made a running joke out of it claiming that Graham stole all of his ring attire ideas from him.

Singles and tag team success

In 1975, Ventura made his debut in the Central States territory, before moving to the Pacific Northwest, where he wrestled for promoter Don Owen as Jesse "The Great" Ventura. Sometime later, he adopted the more permanent nickname, "The Body". During his stay in Portland, Oregon, he had notable feuds with Dutch Savage and Jimmy Snuka and won the Pacific Northwest Wrestling title twice (once from each wrestler), and the tag team title five times (twice each with Bull Ramos and "Playboy" Buddy Rose, and once with Jerry Oates). He later moved to his hometown promotion, the American Wrestling Association in Minnesota, and began teaming with Adrian Adonis as the "East-West Connection" in 1979. The duo won the promotion's World Tag Team Championship on July 20, 1980 on a forfeit when Verne Gagne, one-half of the tag team champions along with Mad Dog Vachon, failed to show up for a title defense in Denver, Colorado. The duo held the belts for nearly a year, losing to "The High Flyers" (Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell).

Retirement and commentary

Shortly after losing the belts, the duo moved on to the World Wrestling Federation, where they were managed by "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Although the duo was unable to capture the World Tag Team Championship, both Adonis and Ventura became singles title contenders, each earning several title shots at World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund.

Ventura continued to wrestle until September 1984, when blood clots in his lungs ended his in-ring career. Ventura claimed the blood clots were a result of his exposure to Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam. Ventura did return to the ring in 1985 forming a tag-team with "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Savage's manager Miss Elizabeth. Often after their televised matches Ventura would taunt and challenge fellow commentator Bruno Sammartino but nothing ever came of this. He also participated in a six-man tag team match in December 1985 as he, Roddy Piper, and "Cowboy" Bob Orton defeated Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer, and Cousin Luke in a match which was broadcast on ''Saturday Night's Main Event''. After a failed comeback bid, he began to do color commentary on television for ''All-Star Wrestling'' (replacing Angelo Mosca) and later ''Superstars of Wrestling'' (initially alongside Vince McMahon and Sammartino, and with McMahon after Sammartino's departure from the WWF in 1988), hosted his own talk segment on the WWF's ''Superstars of Wrestling'' called "The Body Shop", and did color commentary on radio for a few National Football League teams (among them, the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Ventura most notably co-hosted ''Saturday Night's Main Event'' with Vince McMahon and the first six WrestleManias (1985–1990) and most of the WWF's pay-per-views at the time with Gorilla Monsoon (the lone exception for Ventura being the first SummerSlam, in which Ventura served as the guest referee during the main event). Following a dispute with Vince McMahon over the use of his image for promoting a Sega product, McMahon—who had a contract with rival company Nintendo at the time—released Ventura from the company in August 1990.

In February 1992 at SuperBrawl II, Ventura joined World Championship Wrestling as a commentator. His professional wrestling commentary style was an extension of his wrestling persona, as he was partial to the villains, which was something new and different at the time, but would still occasionally give credit where it was due, praising the athleticism of Dynamite Kid and Randy Savage (who was championed by Ventura for years, even when he was a fan favorite). The lone exception to this rule was the WrestleMania VI match between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. Since they were both crowd favorites, Ventura took a neutral position in his commentary; even praising Hogan's display of sportsmanship at the end of the match when he handed over the WWF Championship to the Warrior after he lost the title. The praise of Hogan's action was unusual for Ventura because he regularly rooted against Hogan during his matches. Hogan and Ventura were, at one point, close friends. Ventura, however, abruptly ended the friendship after he discovered, during his lawsuit against Vince McMahon, that Hogan was the one who had told Vince about Ventura's attempt to form a labor union in 1984. Ventura was released by WCW President Eric Bishoff for allegedly falling asleep during a ''WCW Worldwide'' TV taping at Disney MGM Studios in July 1994, though its been speculated the move may have had more to do with Hulk Hogan's arrival shortly before.

Litigation

In 1987, while negotiating his contract as a WWF commentator, Ventura waived his rights to royalties on videotape sales when he was falsely told that only feature performers received such royalties. In 1991, having discovered that other non-feature performers received royalties, Ventura brought an action for fraud, misappropriation of publicity rights, and quantum meruit in Minnesota state court against Titan Sports. Titan removed the case to federal court, and Ventura won an $801,333 jury verdict on the last claim. The judgment was affirmed on appeal, and the case,'' '' 65 F.3d 725 (8th Cir.1995), is an important result in the law of restitution.

Return to the World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment

In mid-1999, Ventura reappeared on WWF television during his term as Governor of Minnesota, acting as the special guest referee for main event of SummerSlam held in Minneapolis. Ventura would continue his relationship with the WWF by performing commentary for Vince McMahon's short-lived XFL. On the March 20, 2003 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Ventura appeared in a taped interview to talk about the match between McMahon and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania XIX. Less than a year later, he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 13, 2004 and the following night at WrestleMania XX, he approached the ring to interview Donald Trump, who had a front row seat at the event. Trump affirmed that Ventura would receive his moral and financial support were he to ever reenter the world of politics. Alluding to the 2008 election, Ventura boldly announced that "In 2008, maybe we oughta put a wrestler in the White House". On the June 11, 2007 episode of ''Raw'', Ventura appeared to give comments about Vince McMahon.

Ventura was guest host on the November 23, 2009 episode of ''Raw'' during which he retained his villainous persona by siding with the number one contender, Sheamus over WWE Champion John Cena. This happened while he confronted Cena about how it was unfair that Cena always got a title shot in the WWE while Ventura didn't during his WWE career. After that Sheamus attacked Cena and put him through a table. Ventura then made the match a Table match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. During the show, for the first time in nearly 20 years, Vince McMahon joined Ventura at ringside to provide match commentary together.

In wrestling

Finishing moves: ''Body Breaker'' (WWF) / Inverted bearhug (AWA) Nicknames:"The Great", "The Body", "The Mouth", "The Actor", "The Governor" World Wrestling Entertainment: WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)

Title History

American Wrestling Association: AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Adrian Adonis

Cauliflower Alley Club: Iron Mike Mazurki Award (1999)

Central States Wrestling: NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Central States version)'' (1 time) – with Tank Patton Continental Wrestling Association: AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

International Wrestling Institute and Museum: Frank Gotch Award (2003)

NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions: NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Steve Strong Pacific Northwest Wrestling: NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (2 times),NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Bull Ramos (2), Buddy Rose (2) and Jerry Oates (1)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: PWI ranked him #239 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003, PWI ranked him #67 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Adrian Adonis

Political career

Mayor of Brooklyn Park

Following his departure from the WWF, Ventura took advice from a former high school teacher and ran for mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota in 1990. Ventura defeated the city's 25-year incumbent mayor and served from 1991 to 1995.

Governor of Minnesota

Ventura ran for Governor of Minnesota in 1998 as the nominee for the Reform Party of Minnesota (he later joined the Independence Party of Minnesota when the Reform Party broke from its association with the Reform Party of the United States of America). His campaign consisted of a combination of aggressive grassroots events and original television spots, designed by quirky adman Bill Hillsman, using the phrase "Don't vote for politics as usual." He spent considerably less than his opponents (about $300,000) and was a pioneer in his using the Internet as a medium of reaching out to voters in a political campaign.

He won the election in November 1998, narrowly (and unexpectedly) defeating the major-party candidates, St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman (Republican) and Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III (Democratic-Farmer-Labor). After his victory, bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing the slogan "My governor can beat up your governor" appeared in Minnesota. The nickname "Jesse 'The Mind (from a last-minute Hillsman ad featuring Ventura posing as Rodin's ''Thinker'') began to resurface sarcastically in reference to his frequently controversial remarks. Ventura's old stage name "Jesse 'The Body (sometimes adapted to "Jesse 'The Governing Body) also continued to appear with some regularity.

After a trade mission to China in 2002, he announced that he would not run for a second term. He accused the media of hounding him and his family for personal behavior and belief while neglecting coverage of important policy issues. Ventura later told a reporter for ''The Boston Globe'' that he would have run for a second term if he had been single, citing the media's effect on his family life.

Governor Ventura sparked media criticism when, nearing the end of his term, he suggested that he might resign from office early to allow his lieutenant governor, Mae Schunk, an opportunity to serve as governor. He further stated that he wanted her to be the state's first female governor and have her portrait painted and hung in the Capitol along with the other governors. Ventura quickly retreated from the comments, saying he was just floating an idea.

Political positions

As Minnesota Governor, Ventura succeeded in several initiatives. One of the most notable was the rebate on Sales tax. In each year of his administration, Minnesotans received a tax-free check in the late summer. The state was running a budget surplus at the time, and Ventura believed that the money should be given back to the public. In political debates, he often admitted that he had not formed an opinion on certain policy questions. Ventura frequently described himself as "fiscally conservative and socially liberal." He selected teacher Mae Schunk as his running mate.

Later, he came to support a unicameral (one-house) legislature, property tax reform, gay rights, and abortion rights. In an interview on ''The Howard Stern Show'', he affirmed his support of gay rights, including gay marriage and gays in the military, humorously stating he would've gladly served alongside homosexuals when he was in the Navy as they would've provided less competition for women. While funding public school education generously, he opposed the teachers' union, and did not have a high regard for the public funding of higher education institutions. Additionally, Ventura supported the use of medicinal marijuana, advocated a higher role for third parties in national politics, and favored the concept of instant-runoff voting.

Ventura was elected on a Reform party ticket, but he never received support from Ross Perot's Texas faction. When the Reform party was taken over by Pat Buchanan supporters before the presidential elections of 2000, Ventura left the party in February 2000, referring to it as "hopelessly dysfunctional". However, he maintained close ties to the Independence Party of Minnesota, which also broke from the Reform party around the same time.

Despite being a supporter of third parties in the past, in 2010 Ventura advocated that all political parties, including third parties, be abolished. Feeling that the two-party system has corrupted the government, Ventura has expressed concern that if a third party became as successful as the Republicans and Democrats, it "will likewise have to corrupt itself. If you already have a two-headed monster, why would you need three?"

Lacking a party base in the Minnesota House and Senate, Ventura's policy ambitions had little chance of being introduced as bills. Initially, the residents of Minnesota feared Ventura's vetoes would be overturned. He vetoed 45 bills in his first year, and only three of those vetoes were overridden. The reputation for having his vetoes overridden comes from his fourth and final year, where six of his nine vetoes were overturned. He vetoed a bill to require recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools.

During the first part of his administration, Ventura strongly advocated for land-use reform and substantial mass transit improvements, such as light rail. He made the light rail project a priority, obtaining additional funding from the Minnesota state legislature to keep the project moving. The Hiawatha Line was completed in 2004.

During another trade mission to Cuba in the summer of 2002, he denounced the economic sanctions of the US against that country.

====Wellstone memorial==== Ventura greatly disapproved of some of the actions that took place at the 2002 memorial for Senator Paul Wellstone, his family, and others who died in a plane crash on October 25, 2002. Ventura said, "I feel used. I feel violated and duped over the fact that [the memorial ceremony] turned into a political rally". He left halfway through the controversial speech made by Wellstone's best friend, Rick Kahn. Ventura had initially planned to appoint a Democrat to Wellstone's seat, but he instead appointed Dean Barkley to represent Minnesota in the Senate until Wellstone's term expired in January 2003.

Political criticisms

After the legislature refused to increase spending for security, Ventura attracted criticism when he decided not to live in the governor's mansion during his tenure, choosing instead to shut it down and stay at his home in Maple Grove. Critics pointed to the loss of jobs for several working-class people at the mansion and the extra cost of reopening the mansion later.

In 1999, a group of disgruntled citizens petitioned to recall Governor Ventura, alleging, among other things, that "the use of state security personnel to protect the governor on a book promotion tour constituted illegal use of state property for personal gain." The petition was denied.

During his tenure as Governor, Ventura drew frequent fire from the press in the Twin Cities. He referred to reporters as "media jackals," a term that even appeared on the press passes required to enter the governor's press area. Shortly after Ventura's election as governor, author and humorist Garrison Keillor wrote a satirical book about the event, spoofing Ventura as "Jimmy (Big Boy) Valente," a self-aggrandizing former "Navy W.A.L.R.U.S. (Water Air Land Rising Up Suddenly)" turned professional wrestler turned politician. Initially, Ventura responded angrily to the satire, but later, in a conciliatory vein, said that Keillor "makes Minnesota proud". During his term, Ventura appeared on ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', in which he responded controversially to the following question: "So which is the better city of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis or St. Paul?". Ventura responded, "Minneapolis. Those streets in St. Paul must have been designed by drunken Irishmen". He later apologized for the remark, adding that it was not intended to be taken seriously.

Acting career

Ventura acted in the 1987 movie ''Predator'', whose cast included future California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and future Kentucky Gubernatorial candidate Sonny Landham. He appeared in two episodes of ''Zorro'' filmed in Madrid, Spain, in 1991. He had a starring role in the 1990 sci-fi movie ''Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe'', and supporting roles in ''The Running Man'', ''Thunderground'', ''Demolition Man'', ''Repossessed'', ''Ricochet'', ''The Master of Disguise'' (in which he steals the Liberty Bell), and ''Batman & Robin'' – the first two and last of these also starring Schwarzenegger. Ventura also made a cameo appearance in ''Major League II'', as "White Lightning". He also appeared as a self help guru (voice only) in ''The Ringer'' trying to turn Johnny Knoxville into a more confident worker. Ventura also had a cameo in ''The X-Files'' episode "Jose Chung's ''From Outer Space''" as a Man in Black alongside fellow 'MiB' Alex Trebek. In 2008, Ventura filmed the independent comedy ''Woodshop'', starring as a high school shop teacher named Mr. Madson. The film was released September 7, 2010.

Other media

In 1989 Ventura co-hosted the four episodes of the DiC Entertainment children's program ''Record Breakers'' along with Gary Apple. In 1991, the pilot episode for "Tag Team", a television program about two ex-professional wrestlers turned police officers, starred Ventura and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

Between 1995 and his run for governor in 1998, Ventura had radio call-in shows on (KFAN 1130) and (KSTP 1500) in Minneapolis – Saint Paul. Jesse had a brief role on the television soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' in 1999.

Ventura has been criticized for privately profiting from his heightened popularity. He was hired as a television analyst for the failed XFL football enterprise, served as a referee at a World Wrestling Federation match, and published several books during his tenure as governor. On his weekly radio show, he often criticized the media for focusing on these deals rather than on his policy proposals.

Media parodies

Ventura has been portrayed frequently by comedian James Adomian since 2009 on the popular Earwolf podcasts Comedy Bang Bang and Sklarbro Country, with the "Ventura" character uncovering a wide range of absurd conspiracies. Adomian also played Ventura in a YouTube parody of Conspiracy Theory, investigating the secret truth behind professional wrestling.

Ventura has been parodied on the KXXR (93X) "Half assed morning show" by hosts Nick Born and Josh in segments called the "Fish Police" and "Pics with Bits" in both he is described with his famous deep voice saying non-sense phrases like, "I'm busy carrying these two sacks".

Post-gubernatorial life

Show name	Jesse Ventura's America
Starring	Jesse Ventura
Location	Saint Paul, Minnesota,
Network	MSNBC
First aired	October 4, 2003
Last aired	December 26, 2003
italic title	no }}

Ventura was succeeded in his office by Republican Tim Pawlenty. He began a cable television show in October 2003, on MSNBC called ''Jesse Ventura's America''. The show was broadcast once a week, on Saturdays, unlike many MSNBC shows which are on five nights a week (this show was originally planned for five nights a week as well, but MSNBC executives changed their minds). At the time of its airing, ''Jesse Ventura's America'' was the only national television show filmed in Minnesota. Among his guests were Charles Barkley, Gray Davis, Arianna Huffington, Rob Kampia, and Kathy McKee.

In 2004, Harvard graduate student and fellow Navy veteran Christopher Mora promoted the idea that the academic establishment had failed to reach out to citizens experienced in public service, but who did not fit the traditional idea of a politician. He successfully lobbied for the selection of Ventura, who started teaching a study group at Harvard University for the Spring 2004 semester as a visiting fellow at the Kennedy School of Government's Institute of Politics (IOP). His 90-minute study group focused on third party politics, campaign finance, the war on drugs, and other relevant political issues. Ventura scheduled multiple famous friends to appear for his seminars including Dean Barkley and Richard Marcinko.

On October 22, 2004, with Ventura by his side, former Maine Governor Angus King endorsed John Kerry for President at the Minnesota state capitol building. Ventura did not speak at the press conference. When prodded for a statement, Governor King responded, "He plans to vote for John Kerry, but he doesn't want to make a statement and subject himself to the tender mercies of the Minnesota press".

In November 2004, an advertisement began airing in California featuring Ventura. In it, Ventura voices his opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's policies regarding Native American casinos. Ventura is serving as an advisory board member for a new group called Operation Truth, a non-profit organization set up "to give voice to troops who served in Iraq." “The current use of the National Guard is wrong....These are men who did not sign up to go occupy foreign nations”.

In August 2005, Ventura became the spokesperson for BetUS, an online Sportsbook. In 2005, Ventura repeatedly discussed leaving the United States. In September 2005, Ventura announced on ''The Mike Malloy Show'' that he was leaving the U.S. and planned to "have an adventure". In late October 2005, he went on ''The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch'' and reiterated that he was leaving the U.S. due to, among other things, censorship. He has since moved to Baja California, Mexico.

In September 2006, Ventura endorsed and campaigned with independent Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman, and Independence Party of Minnesota's gubernatorial candidate Peter Hutchinson and Team Minnesota. He revealed he now spends much of his time surfing near his home in Mexico.

In April 2008, a book authored by Ventura, titled ''Don't Start the Revolution Without Me'', was released. In it, Ventura describes a hypothetical campaign in which he is a candidate for President of the United States in 2008, running as an independent. In an interview with the Associated Press at the time of the book's release, however, Ventura denied any plans for a presidential bid, stating that the scenario is only imaginary and not indicative of a "secret plan to run". On MinnPost.com, Ventura's agent, Steve Schwartz, describes the book thus: "[Ventura is revealing] why he left politics and discussing the disastrous war in Iraq, why he sees our two-party system as corrupt, and what Fidel Castro told him about who was really behind the assassination of President Kennedy."

However, in an interview on CNN's ''The Situation Room'' on April 7, Ventura hinted that he was considering entering the race for the United States Senate seat then held by Norm Coleman, his Republican opponent in the 1998 Gubernatorial race. A poll commissioned by Twin Cities station Fox 9 put him at 24 percent, behind Al Franken at 32 percent and Norm Coleman at 39 percent in a hypothetical three-way race. However, Ventura announced on ''Larry King Live'' on July 14, 2008 that he would not run.

He spoke at former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul's "Rally for the Republic", organized by the Campaign for Liberty, on September 2, 2008. At the event, Ventura implied a possible future run at the U.S. Presidency. Ventura stated before a live audience that "If America proves itself worthy, in 2012 we'll give them a race they'll never forget!"

Bush/Cheney administration and torture

In a May 11, 2009 interview with Larry King, Ventura twice stated that George W. Bush was the worst president of his lifetime, adding "President Obama inherited something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. You know? Two wars, an economy that's borderline depression." On the issue of waterboarding, Ventura added:

I'll put it to you this way, you give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders. ... If it's done wrong, you certainly could drown. You could swallow your tongue. [It] could do a whole bunch of stuff to you. If it's done wrong orit's torture, Larry. It's torture.''}}

Ventura then stated that he had no respect for Dick Cheney because he is "a guy who got five deferments from the Vietnam War. Clearly, he's a coward. He wouldn't go when it was his time to go. And now he is a chickenhawk. Now he is this big tough guy who wants this hardcore policy. And he's the guy that sanctioned all this torture by calling it 'enhanced interrogation'." Ventura also expressed interest in being appointed ambassador to Cuba should U.S. relations with Cuba continue to improve. On a May 18, 2009 appearance on ''The View'', Ventura asked Elisabeth Hasselbeck if waterboarding is acceptable, why were the Oklahoma City bombers, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, not waterboarded. "We only seem to waterboard Muslims." Comparing the waterboarding of detainees to the North Vietnamese torture of American P.O.W.s, Ventura asserted, "We created our own Hanoi Hilton in Guantánamo. That's our Hanoi Hilton." "'Enhanced interrogation' is Dick Cheney changing a word. Dick Cheney comes up with a new word to cover his ass." On May 20, 2009, Ventura appeared on ''Fox & Friends''. When Brian Kilmeade told Ventura that he would stop supporting waterboarding when "they're dead", Ventura responded, "Really? Have you enlisted? Have you enlisted or are you just talking?... Go walk the walk, don't talk the talk."

Questions regarding 9/11

In April and May 2008, Jesse Ventura, in several radio interviews for his new book, ''Don't Start the Revolution Without Me'', expressed concerns about what he described as some of the unanswered questions of the September 11 attacks. His remarks about the possibility that the World Trade Center was demolished with explosives were also repeated in newspaper and television stories following some of the interviews.

Ventura was interviewed on the Alex Jones radio show on April 2, 2008 where he said that he felt that many unanswered questions remain, and he believes that World Trade Center Building 7, which was not struck by a plane, collapsed on the afternoon of 9/11 in a manner which resembled a controlled demolition Ventura stated:

''}}''

He also states the Twin Towers appeared to be pulverized to dust, that they fell at virtually free-fall speed, and that no other massive steel-framed buildings had ever collapsed in this manner due to fire before.

On May 18, 2009, when asked by Sean Hannity of Fox News, how George W. Bush could have avoided the attacks of September 11, 2001, Ventura answered, "Well, you pay attention to memos on August 6'th that tell you exactly what bin Laden's gonna do."

''Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura''

In August 2009, it was announced that Ventura would host TruTV's new show ''Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura''. "Ventura will hunt down answers, plunging viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces," truTV said in a statement. On the program, which debuted on December 2, 2009, Ventura travels the country, investigating cases and getting input from believers and skeptics before passing judgment on a theory's validity. According to TruTV, the first episode drew 1.6 million viewers, a record for a new series on the network.

The second season of the series debuted in October 2010 and aired 8 episodes through December 2010.

''American Conspiracies''

''American Conspiracies'' is a book Ventura wrote with Dick Russell, published by Skyhorse Publishing in 2010 which discusses conspiracy theories related to several notable events in United States history.

''Lawsuit Against the TSA''

In January 2011, Jesse Venutra filed a lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration for being subject to controversial pat-downs. Ventura has claimed that these pat-downs violate his Fourth Amendment rights. Ventura's attorney has claimed that while he is not seeking any monetary compensation, Ventura wants an acknowledgment from the court that his rights were violated and that the TSA halt future pat-downs on him.

Personal life

Family

In 1975, Ventura married his wife Terry. The couple have two grown children: a son, Tyrel (b. 1980), who is a film and television director and producer, and a daughter, Jade (b. 1983).

Currently, Ventura and his wife live in Mexico, "There are no newspapers down where I live. Where I live, I'm an hour from pavement and an hour from electricity. I'm completely off-the-grid."

Steroid use

During his wrestling days, Ventura used anabolic steroids. He admitted this after retiring from competition, and went on to make public service announcements and appear in printed ads and on posters warning young people about the potential dangers and potential health risks of abusing steroids.

Health problems

In 2002, Ventura was hospitalized for a severe blood clot in his lungs, the same kind of injury that ended his wrestling career.

Religion

In a ''Playboy'' interview, he said, "Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people's business." In his 1999 best-selling memoir ''I Ain't Got Time to Bleed'', Ventura responded to the controversy sparked by these remarks by elaborating on his views concerning religion: "I’d like to clarify [my comments published in ''Playboy''] about religious people being weak-minded. I didn’t mean all religious people. I don’t have any problem with the vast majority of religious folks. I count myself among them, more or less. But I believe because it makes sense to me, not because I think it can be proven. There are lots of people out there who think they know the truth about God and religion, but does anybody really know for sure? That’s why the Founding Fathers built freedom of religious belief into the structure of this nation, so that everybody could make up their minds for themselves. But I do have a problem with the people who think they have some right to try to impose their beliefs on others. I hate what the fundamentalist fanatics are doing to our country. It seems as though, if everybody doesn’t accept their version of reality, that somehow invalidates it for them. Everybody must believe the same things they do. That’s what I find weak and destructive."

Ventura endorsed equal rights for religious minorities, as well as people who don't believe in God, by declaring July 4, 2002, "Indivisible Day". Ventura proclaimed October 13–19, 2002 as "Christian Heritage Week" in Minnesota.

Ventura identified himself as an atheist on April 5, 2011, on ''The Howard Stern Show'' and stated that he had been convinced to become an atheist by watching George Carlin. Ventura stated he had been a Lutheran before.

Electoral history

1998 election for Governor

*Jesse Ventura (Ref.), 37%

*Norm Coleman (R), 34%

*Hubert H. Humphrey III (DFL), 28%

Books

''I Ain't Got Time to Bleed: Reworking the Body Politic from the Bottom Up'' (May 1999) ISBN 978-0-375-50332-0

''Do I Stand Alone? Going to the Mat Against Political Pawns and Media Jackals'' (September 2000) ISBN 978-0-7434-0586-7

''Jesse Ventura Tells it Like it Is: America's Most Outspoken Governor Speaks Out About Government'' (September 2002, co-authored with Heron Marquez) ISBN 978-0-8225-0385-9

''Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!'' (March 2008, co-authored with Dick Russell) ISBN 978-1-60239-273-1

''American Conspiracies'' (March 2010, co-authored with Dick Russell) ISBN 978-1-60239-802-3

''63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read'' (April 2011, co-authored with Dick Russell) ISBN 978-1-61608-226-0

Notes

References

deFiebre, Conrad. "Record-high job approval for Ventura; Many Minnesotans like his style, don't mind moonlighting." ''Star Tribune'' 22 July 1999: 1A+.

deFiebre, Conrad. "Using body language, Ventura backs Kerry." ''Star Tribune'' 23 October 2004: 1A+.

Kahn, Joseph P. "The Body Politic." ''The Boston Globe'' 25 February 2004. Accessed April 28, 2004.

Olson, Rochelle and Bob von Sternberg. "GOP demands equal time; Wellstone aide apologizes; Ventura upset." ''Minneapolis Star-Tribune'' 31 October 2002: 1A+.

External links

Jesse Ventura Official Website

WWE Hall of Fame Profile

Ventura "on the issues"

Analysis of Jesse Ventura's ''Playboy'' interview by Aubrey Immelman

Jesse Ventura – Media Man Australia profile

Election Of Bonapartist Figure Ventura In Minnesota Is Danger To Working People – article in ''The Militant'' 1998.

Radiotapes.com Recordings of Jesse Ventura for Governor commercials from 1998 (scroll down to Misc Recordings).

Larry King Live: Jesse Ventura CNN April 1, 2008

"Jesse's back! New Ventura book 'Revolution' will cover political waterfront" from Minnpost.com

The Jesse Ventura Forums

Jesse Ventura on Wrestling-Radio.com

Jesse Ventura interview, Diaday.com

Jesse Ventura on The Young Turks Show.

http://images.radcity.net/5163/2969012.mp3

Category:1951 births Category:Actors from Minnesota Category:American actor-politicians Category:American atheists Category:American athlete-politicians Category:American film actors Category:American memoirists Category:American military personnel of the Vietnam War Category:American people of Slovak descent Category:American professional wrestlers Category:American talk radio hosts Category:American television sports announcers Category:American people of German descent Category:Conspiracy theorists Category:Governors of Minnesota Category:Independence Party of Minnesota politicians Category:Independent politicians in the United States Category:Former Lutherans Category:Living people Category:Mayors of places in Minnesota Category:Mongols (motorcycle club) Category:Radio personalities from Minneapolis, Minnesota Category:Professional wrestling announcers Category:Reform Party of the United States of America politicians Category:Minnesota Vikings broadcasters Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers broadcasters Category:United States Navy sailors Category:WWE Hall of Fame

bg:Джеси Вентура cs:Jesse Ventura de:Jesse Ventura es:Jesse Ventura fa:جسی ونچورا fr:Jesse Ventura it:Jesse Ventura he:ג'סי ונטורה nl:Jesse Ventura ja:ジェシー・ベンチュラ pl:Jesse Ventura pt:Jesse Ventura ru:Джесси Вентура fi:Jesse Ventura sv:Jesse Ventura vi:Jesse Ventura zh:傑西·溫圖拉

name	Jean-Marie Bigard
birthname	Jean-Marie Bigard
birth date	May 17, 1954
birth place	Troyes, France
yearsactive	1988–present
spouse(s)	Claudia Bigard (February 1991-August 2009; divorced), Lola Marois (27 mai 2011-Present)
children	Sasha (2009-)
influences	Robert Lamoureux }}

Jean-Marie Bigard (born May 17, 1954, Troyes, France) is a French comedian and actor. Known for his often rogue humour, he has given presentations at the largest entertainment facilities in France, including the Palais omnisports at Paris-Bercy and the Stade de France. Bigard is a close friend of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whom he accompanied on an official visit to Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.

Personal life

Childhood

Fourth child of a family from humble origins, it passes through "a happiness unblemished "his summer holiday on a farm in the Aube exploited his maternal grandparents, and lives with" sadness "of the school mid-September.

From the early allergic to "constraints" and "confinement" inherent in the school attached to his mother and "too wayward at work, it knows itself and sometimes is very sensitive to incentives. Can succeed and be aware of "no more stupid than others," puberty and discovered girls "giving life to something intoxicating" divert yet his point drop after doubling its class Fourth, it is set in the pension private college of Mesnil-Saint-Loup.Ses parents this financial sacrifice to enable him to succeed but as his elder brother, it will not its orientation, and 16 years for a SEN in general mechanics, to prepare 3-year technical school.

Against by his diligence and success in the practice of handball earned him alone the praise of his elder brother and the pride of his father when, "selected in the junior team of the Nord-Est de la France" who will win the tournament, he returned with a medal.

Family

Jean-Marie Bigard is married to Claudia Bigard since February 1991. The couple has one child, Sasha, born on June 19, 2009.

Views on the September 11 attacks

In September 2008, Bigard claimed that the September 11 attacks on the US seven years earlier were an "enormous lie" orchestrated by the American government. He said that it would be "... absolutely sure and certain" that the US government had stage-managed the attacks.

Later, in a statement to Agence France-Press, Bigard said that he wanted to "apologise to everyone". He also said: "I will never speak again about the events of 11 September. . . I will never express any more doubts." He stopped short, however, of saying that he accepted that his comments were untrue.

On June 2009, Bigard posted several videos on his website in which he comments on the official account of the September 11 attacks.

On October 28, 2009, accompanied by Mathieu Kassovitz, Bigard participated on a TV show (France 2) in which he said there was no proof of Ben Laden culpability in the attacks, neither any images (and proof) about an airplane crashing on the Pentagon.

References

External links

Official site

Category:French stand-up comedians Category:1954 births Category:Living people

fr:Jean-Marie Bigard it:Jean-Marie Bigard

Rodman "Rod" Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, ''The Twilight Zone''. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form television industry standards. He was known as the "angry young man" of Hollywood, clashing with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues including censorship, racism, and anti-war politics. His brother Robert J. Serling was also a writer, a novelist of fictional and non-fictional literature who survived his younger brother.

Early life

Serling was born December 25, 1924, into a Jewish family in Syracuse, New York, the second of two sons born to Esther (née Cooper) and Samuel Lawrence Serling. Serling's father had worked as a secretary and amateur inventor before having children, but took on his father-in-law's profession as a grocer in order to earn a steady income. Sam Serling later took up the trade of butcher after the Great Depression forced the store to close. Serling's mother was a homemaker.

He and his family spent most of his youth in Binghamton, in upstate New York, after moving there in 1926. Even as a boy he was known for his imagination and outgoing personality. Family members remember a child with an engaging smile, beautiful brown eyes, and a love for entertaining others. As a performer he was encouraged by his parents from his earliest days. Sam Serling built a small stage in the basement where Rod, with or without the aid of neighborhood children, would often put on plays. His older brother, author Robert, recalled at the age of six or seven, Serling could entertain himself for hours by acting out dialogue from pulp magazines or movies he'd seen. Rod was often found talking to the people around him without waiting for answers. On an hour trip from Binghamton to Syracuse the rest of the family remained silent to see if Rod would notice their lack of participation. He didn't, talking non-stop through the entire car ride.

In elementary school Serling was seen as the class clown and dismissed by many of his teachers as a lost cause. That is until his seventh grade English teacher, Helen Foley, 'discovered' Rod and encouraged him to enter the school's public speaking extracurriculars. Serling joined the debate team and was later a speaker at his high school graduation. He also began writing for the school newspaper, where he was not afraid to write scathing pieces that showed his liberal political leanings.

In addition to performance, Serling was also interested in sports. He excelled at tennis and table tennis, but when he attempted to join the varsity football team he was told he was too small at 5'4" tall.

Serling was interested in radio and writing at an early age. He listened to a variety of radio programs, especially thrillers with a fantasy or horror feel. Arch Oboler and Norman Corwin were two of his favorite writers. He also, "...did some staff work at a Binghamton radio station...tried to write...but never had anything published." Serling applied to, and was accepted to college during his senior year of high school; however, the U.S. was deeply involved in World War II at that time and Serling decided to enlist rather than start college immediately after he graduated from Binghamton Central High School in 1943.

Military service

As editor of his high school newspaper, Serling tried to persuade his fellow students to support the war effort in a variety of ways. He wanted to leave school before graduation to join the fight, but his civics teacher talked him into staying through graduation. "War is a temporary thing," Gus Youngstrom told an eager Serling, "It ends. An education doesn't. Without your degree, where will you be after the war?" Serling enlisted into the U.S. Army the morning after his high school graduation, following brother Robert.

Serling began his military career at Camp Toccoa, Georgia under General Raymond Swing and Col. Orin D. "Hard Rock" Haugen and served in the 511^th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 11th Airborne Division. Over the next year of paratrooper training Serling and others took to boxing as a way to get their aggressions out. Serling competed as a flyweight, and totaled 17 bouts, rising to the second round of division finals before getting knocked out. He was remembered for his berserker style and for "getting his nose broken in his first bout and again in last bout." He tried his hand at the Golden Gloves, but was not overly successful.

April 25, 1944, was the day Serling had been looking forward to: the day he received his overseas orders. When he saw that he was headed west, through California, he knew he was headed to fight the Japanese rather than the Germans. He was disappointed; being Jewish, he had hoped to have a hand in combating Hitler. On May 5, the division boarded the ''USS Sea Pike'' and headed into the Pacific, ending up in New Guinea, where they would be held in reserve for a few more months.

It wasn't until November 1944 that these troops would see combat on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. The 11th Airborne Division would not be used as paratroopers; however, they were sent in as light infantry after the Battle of Leyte Gulf to help mop up after the six divisions that had gone ashore earlier. Their mission seemed simple; go from point A to point B, cleaning out Japanese positions as they went. In reality, the terrain and lack of military intelligence proved to be just as difficult to handle as the unpredictable enemy.

For a variety of reasons Serling was transferred to the 511^th's demolition platoon, nicknamed the 'death squad' for its high casualty rate. According to Sergeant Frank Lewis, leader of the demolitions squad, "He screwed up somewhere along the line. Apparently he got on someone's nerves." Lewis also noted that Serling was not cut out to be a field soldier. "...[H]e didn't have the wits or aggressiveness required for combat." At one point Lewis, Serling and others were in a firefight trapped in a foxhole. As time passed and they waited for darkness Lewis noticed that Serling had not reloaded any of his extra magazines. Another example of how Serling was a dreamer in a harsh reality was that he would go off exploring on his own, against orders and then get lost."

Serling's time in Leyte would shape his writing and his political views for the rest of his life. He witnessed death every day while in the Philippines, both at the hands of the enemy and through random events such as those that killed another extroverted Jewish private named Melvin Levy. Levy was in the middle of a comic monologue as the platoon sat resting under a palm tree when a food crate dropped from above, decapitating him as the men watched. Serling led the services for Levy and created a Star of David over his grave. In his future writing career Serling would set several of his scripts in the Philippines and use the unpredictability of death as a source for much of his material.

Serling marched away from the successful mission in Leyte with two wounds including one to his kneecap but neither was enough to keep him from combat when General MacArthur used the paratroopers as they were intended on February 3, 1945. Colonel Haugen led the 511^th Parachute Infantry Regiment as it landed on Tagaytay Ridge, met up with the 188^th Glider Infantry Regiment and marched into Manila. There was minimal resistance until they reached the city where Vice Admiral Sanji Iwabuchi had barricaded his 17,000 troops behind a maze of traps and guns and ordered them to fight to the death. The next month witnessed Serling's unit involved in a block-by-block battle for control of Manila. As portions of the town were freed from Japanese control the civilians showed their gratitude by throwing parties and hosting banquets. During one of these parties Serling and his comrades were fired upon and many people, both soldiers and civilians, were killed. Serling, still a Private after three years, caught the attention of Sergeant Frank Lewis when he ran into the line of fire to rescue a performer who had been on stage when the artillery started. As the troops continued to move in on Iwabuchi's stronghold Serling's regiment suffered a 50 percent casualty rate, with over 400 men killed. Serling was wounded, and three of the men he was with were killed by shrapnel from rounds fired at his roving demolition team by an anti-aircraft gun. He was sent to New Guinea to recover but soon chose to return to Manila to finish 'cleaning up'. Private Serling's final assignment was as part of the occupation force in Japan. For his service to the U. S. Army he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Philippine Liberation Medal.

Serling's Army combat service affected him deeply and also influenced much of his writing. His wartime combat experiences left Serling with nightmares and flashbacks which would plague him for the rest of his life. He was quoted as saying, "I was bitter about everything and at loose ends when I got out of the service. I think I turned to writing to get it off my chest."

Postwar life, education and family

After being discharged from the Army in 1946, Serling worked at a rehabilitation hospital while recovering from his wounds. His knee would continue to give him trouble though, and his wife became used to the sound of Serling falling down the stairs after his knee refused to take his weight.

Once he was fit enough, he used the federal G.I. Bill's educational benefits as well as disability payments to enroll in the Physical Education program at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He had been accepted to Antioch, his brother's ''alma mater'', while still in high school. His interests led him to the theater department and later, broadcasting. He soon changed his major to Literature and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1950. "I was kind of mixed up and restless, and I kind of liked their work-for-a-term, go-to-school-for-a-term set-up," Serling once said. Second, he met the woman who would become his wife in fellow student Carolyn Louise Kramer. At first she refused to date Serling because he had a reputation around campus as a ladies man, but she eventually overcame her reticence. Additionally, it was in college that he converted from Judaism to Unitarianism, an act that allowed him to marry his wife on July 31, 1948. Together they had two daughters, Jodi and Anne.

Carol Serling's maternal grandmother, Louise Taft Orton Caldwell, had a summer home on Cayuga Lake, in Interlaken, New York, which the newlyweds used as a honeymoon destination. The Serling family continued to use this house annually throughout his life, missing only the two summers in the years when his daughters were born.

As a way to make some extra money throughout his college years, Serling took a part-time job testing parachutes for the Army Air Force. According to co-workers at the radio stations where he was also working, he received $50 for each successful jump. They recall Serling's telling them that he had once been paid $500, half before and half if he survived, for a hazardous test. His last test jump took place only a few weeks before his wedding. The pay was $1000 for him to test a newly invented jet ejection seat. Serling survived the test, but barely. Serling told friends later that three other men had been killed before he made the trial.

Career

Radio

Serling started at the bottom. He had no writing credits to his name, no published work and no hands-on experience. To solve this problem he volunteered during the summer of 1946 at WNYC in New York as an actor and writer. The following year he worked at that same station as a paid intern for his Antioch work study program. He then took on odd jobs in other radio stations in New York and Ohio. "I learned 'time', writing for a medium that is measured in seconds," Serling later said of his early experiences.

While attending college classes he worked at the Antioch Broadcasting System’s radio workshop and was managing the station within a couple years. He then took charge of full-scale radio productions at Antioch that could be heard on WJEM, Springfield. He wrote and directed the scripts, and also acted in them as needed. His strong work ethic was exemplified as he created the entire output for the 1948–49 school year. With one exception, an adaptation, all the writing that year was his original work.

While still in college Serling won his first accolade as a writer. A radio program called Dr. Christian had started an annual script writing contest eight years earlier. Thousands of scripts were sent in annually, but very few could be produced. Serling won a trip to New York City and $500 for his radio script "To Live a Dream." He and his new wife attended the awards broadcast on May 18, 1949, where Serling and the other winners were interviewed by the star of Dr. Christian, Jean Hersholt. One of the other winners that day was Earl Hamner, Jr., a 'regular' winner who had earned prizes in previous years as well. Later, Hamner would write scripts for Serling's The Twilight Zone.

In addition to earning $45 to $50 a week at the college radio station, Serling attempted to make a living selling freelance scripts to radio programs, but the industry at that time was involved in many lawsuits which in turn affected their willingness to take on new writers. Writers who had submitted scripts that were rejected would often hear some similar plot produced and claim that their work had been stolen and they sued to receive recompense. This made radio producers wary of taking unrequested scripts from unknown authors. Serling received rejections for reasons ranging from 'heavy competition' to 'This script lacks professional quality' and 'not what our audience prefers to listen to'.

In the fall of 1949 Martin Horrell of Grand Central Station, a radio program known for romances and light dramas, rejected one of Serling's scripts about boxing because his mostly female listeners “have told us in no uncertain terms that prize fight stories aren’t what they like most.” He then went on to offer some advice, “I have a feeling that the script would be far better for sight than for sound only, because in any radio presentation, the fights are not seen. Perhaps this is a baby you should try on some of the producers of television shows.”

Seeing that the boxing story was not right for Grand Central Station, Serling submitted a lighter piece called ''Hop Off the Express and Grab a Local'', which became his first nationally produced piece on September 10, 1949. His Dr. Christian script wasn't produced until November 30^th of that year.

Serling began his professional writing career in 1950 when he took a job earning $75 a week as a network continuity writer for WLW-Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio. As he worked for WLW he continued to freelance. He sold several scripts to The Crosley Broadcasting Corporation, some for radio, some for television. Once the scripts were sold to Crosley, Serling had no further involvement with them, as they were sold to local stations across the country.

Serling submitted an idea for a weekly radio show in which a young boy and girl, who were killed during the war and were now ghosts, would look through train windows and give commentary on day-to-day human life as it moved around the country. His idea was changed dramatically, but was produced from October 1950 to February 1951 as ''Adventure Express'', a drama about a girl and boy who travel by train with their uncle. Each week they find adventure in a new town and get involved with the locals.

Other radio programs that Serling wrote scripts for include, ''Leave it to Kathy'', ''Our America'', and ''Builders of Destiny''. During production of these scripts, Serling became acquainted with a voice actor, Jay Overholts, who would later become a regular on ''The Twilight Zone''.

Serling said of his time as a staff writer for radio, “From a writing point of view, radio ate up ideas that might have put food on the table for weeks at a future freelancing date. The minute you tie yourself down to a radio or TV station, you write around the clock. You rip out ideas, many of them irreplaceable. They go on and consequently can never go on again. And you've sold them for $50 a week. You can't afford to give away ideas – they're too damn hard to come by. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't staff-write at all. I'd find some other way to support myself while getting a start as a writer.”

He also believed that radio was not living up to its potential. He said, "Radio, in terms of...drama, dug its own grave. It had aimed downward, had become cheap and unbelievable, and had willingly settled for second best." He argued that in the lifespan of radio, about 20 years, there were very few writers who would be remembered for their literary contributions. eventually left WKRC to become a full-time freelance writer. "Writing is a demanding profession and a selfish one. And because it is selfish and demanding, because it is compulsive and exacting, I didn't embrace it. I succumbed to it."

According to his wife, "He just up and quit one day, during the winter of 1952, about six months before our first daughter Jody was born – though he was also doing some freelancing and working on a weekly dramatic show for another Cincinnati station" He and his family then moved to Connecticut in early 1953. Although not an overnight success, Serling did make a living by selling his work to the live dramatic anthology shows that were prevalent on television at that time such as ''Kraft Television Theater'', ''Appointment with Adventure'', and ''Hallmark Hall of Fame''. By the end of 1954 Serling's agent convinced him that he needed to move to New York, "where the action is."

His early work was positively reviewed. Author Marc Scott Zicree, who spent years researching his book, ''The Twilight Zone Companion,'' noted: "Sometimes the situations were clichéd, the characters two-dimensional, but always there was at least some search for an emotional truth, some attempt to make a statement on the human condition."

Gaining fame

In 1955, the nationwide ''Kraft Television Theater'' televised a program based on Serling's seventy-second script. To Serling, it was just another script, and he missed the first live broadcast. He and his wife had found a babysitter for the night and told her, "that no one would call because we had just moved to town. And the phone just started ringing and didn't stop for years!" The title of this episode was ''Patterns,'' and it soon changed Rod Serling's life.

''Patterns'' dramatized the power struggle between a corporate boss, an old hand running out of ideas and energy, and a bright young executive being groomed to take his place. Instead of simply firing the loyal employee, and risk tarnishing his own reputation, the boss enlists the young up-and-coming employee into a campaign to push aside his competition. Serling modeled the main character on his former commander, Colonel Oren "Hard Rock" Haugen.

Following the show, ''New York Times'' critic Jack Gould called it "one of the high points in the TV medium's evolution" and "[f]or sheer power of narrative, forcefulness of characterization and brilliant climax, Mr. Serling's work is a creative triumph." Robert Lewis Shayon stated in the ''Saturday Review'' that, "in the years I have been watching television I do not recall being so engaged by a drama, nor so stimulated to challenge the haunting conclusions of an hour's entertainment." The episode was a big hit with audiences as well, and a second live show was re-created by popular demand only one month later. During the time between the two shows, Kraft executives were in discussion with people from Hollywood who were trying to buy the rights to ''Patterns''. The newspapers announced that ''Patterns'' would be rebroadcast, but then stated that the show might be unavailable if the rights were sold before that time.

''Patterns'' established Serling's career. Immediately following the original broadcast he was inundated with permanent job offers, congratulations and requests for novels, plays, television or radio scripts. He quickly sold off many of his earlier, lower-quality works and then could only watch in dismay as they were published. Critics expressed concern that Serling was not living up to his promise and began to doubt that he would be able to recreate the level of writing that ''Patterns'' had shown.

But then Serling created ''Requiem for a Heavyweight'' for the ''Playhouse 90'' TV series in 1956, again gaining accolades from critics.

In the fall of 1957 the Serling family moved to California. When television was new, it was a live production, but as the studios began to tape their shows, the business moved from the east coast to the west. Serling would live in California for a significant percentage of his life but always kept Binghamton and Cayuga Lake as places to return to when he needed time to himself.

Corporate censorship

The early years of television were filled with growing pains, one of which was the ubiquitous nature of sponsors as editors and censors. Serling was often forced to change his scripts after corporate sponsors had read them and found something they felt was too controversial. Sponsors wanted no associations with anything that might make them look bad to buyers, so references to many modern social issues were omitted, as were references to anything that might compete commercially with any given sponsor. For instance, the line "Got a match?" was deleted because one of the sponsors for ''Requiem For A Heavyweight'' was Ronson lighters.

A ''New York Times'' television reviewer added an editorializing note at the end of a glowing review for ''A Town Has Turned to Dust,'' a show about racism and bigotry in a small Southwestern town. "'Playhouse 90' and Mr. Serling had to fight executive interference...before getting their play on the air last night. The theater people of Hollywood have reason to be proud of their stand in the viewers' behalf."

Tired of seeing his scripts butchered in manners that removed any political statements, ethnic identities, and even the Chrysler Building being removed from a script sponsored by Ford, the frustrated, angered Serling decided that the only way to avoid such artistic interference was to create his own show. In an interview with Mike Wallace, Serling confessed, "I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to have to battle sponsors and agencies. I don't want to have to push for something that I want and have to settle for second best. I don't want to have to compromise all the time, which in essence is what a television writer does if he wants to put on controversial themes."

He submitted ''The Time Element'' to CBS executives, intending it to be a pilot for his new weekly show, ''The Twilight Zone.'' Instead, CBS used the science fiction script in the new show produced by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, ''The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse,'' in 1958. The eerie story concerns a man who has vivid nightmares of Pearl Harbor. The man goes to a psychiatrist and after the session the plot twist, which Serling became known for, is revealed. The patient had died in the Pearl Harbor bombings, and the ''psychiatrist'' was the one actually having the vivid dreams. But the Desilu show received so much positive fan mail about the episode that CBS finally agreed to let Serling go ahead with his pilot for his ''Twilight Zone'' show.

''The Twilight Zone''

On October 2, 1959, CBS-TV broadcast the first episode of Serling's series, ''The Twilight Zone''.

For this series, Serling always fought hard to get and maintain creative control. He hired scriptwriters whom he respected (such as Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont). In an interview, Serling said that its science fiction format would not be controversial (with sponsors, network executives, the general public, etc.), and his program would escape censorship, unlike the earlier ''Playhouse 90''. In actuality, this TV series gave Serling the opportunity to communicate social messages within a more veiled context.

Serling drew on his own experiences for many episodes, with frequent stories about boxing, military life, and airplane pilots, which integrated his firsthand knowledge. ''The Twilight Zone'' also incorporated Serling's progressive social views on racial relations, somewhat veiled by the science fiction and fantasy elements of the shows. Occasionally, however, Serling could be quite blunt, such as in the episode "I Am the Night — Color Me Black", where racism and hatred causes a dark cloud to form in the American South, before proceeding to spread across the country. Serling was also a progressive thinker in matters of gender, with many ''Twilight Zone'' stories featuring quick-thinking, resilient women. However, he also wrote or paid for stories that featured shrewish, nagging wives. In this way, he included the whole spectrum of personalities, of both male and female persuasion.

The series ''The Twilight Zone'' was produced for five TV seasons (the first three seasons presenting half-hour episodes, the fourth season having hour-long episodes and the fifth season returning to the half-hour format). It won many TV and drama awards, and it drew much critical acclaim for Serling and his co-workers. While having a loyal fan base, ''The Twilight Zone'' never had very high audience numbers, and it was canceled twice, only to be revived. After five years and 156 episodes, ninety-two of them written by Serling himself, he grew weary of his TV series. In 1964, he decided to let its third cancellation be final. The quality of Serling's prose and productions was indisputable, especially relative to his television drama competitors of the time regarding plot complexity and unexpected, creative-but-plausible outcomes.

Serling sold his rights to ''The Twilight Zone'' to CBS. His wife later claimed that he did this partly because he believed that his own studio would never recoup the costs of producing the programs, which frequently went over budget.

''Night Gallery''

In 1969, NBC aired a Serling-penned pilot for a new series, ''Night Gallery''. Set in a dimly lit museum that was open after hours, the pilot film featured Serling (as on-camera host) playing the part of curator introducing three tales of the macabre, unveiling canvases that would appear in the subsequent story segments (its brief first season rotated as one spoke of a four-series programming wheel titled ''Four in One''), focused more on gothic horror and the occult than did ''The Twilight Zone''. Serling, no longer wanting the burden of an executive position, sidestepped an offer to retain creative control of content, a decision he would come to regret. Although discontented with some of the script and creative choices of producer Jack Laird, Serling maintained a stream of creative submissions and ultimately wrote over a third of the series' scripts. By season three, however, Serling began to see many of his script contributions rejected and flat-out butchered. With his complaints ignored, the disgruntled host dismissed the show as "''Mannix'' in a cemetery". ''Night Gallery'' lasted until 1973.

Other television

After ''Twilight Zone'' was canceled Serling wrote an unsuccessful western television series called ''The Loner,'' which ran from the fall of 1965 to April 1966. The network asked Serling to have more action and less character interaction. He refused to comply, even though the show had received poor reviews and low ratings.

In a complete departure from his earlier work, Serling hosted the first version of the game show ''Liar's Club'' for a brief run in 1969.

An overlooked period in Serling's TV history was 1970 when he was signed to host and narrate a 30-minute weekly series on Los Angeles television station KNXT. It was called ''Rod Serling's Wonderful World of...'' and presented stylized essays on off-beat subjects such as Gluttony, Propaganda, Sloth, Greed and other human frailties. The series ran for 13 weeks. S.T. Joshi's overview of Serling's writing says, "If there is anything that unites the whole of Serling's works – whether it be short stories or film scripts, whether it be fantastic or mainstream – it is an abiding concern with human feeling."

Joshi compares an original script version of "Walking Distance" to a short story version of the same work, then to the finalized script. The scripts utilize visual images to show the locations, what the characters look like and emotions they are experiencing; in comparison, Serling fleshes these all out in the short story with strong nuances, inner dialogue and elaborate memories that are not able to be translated to the screen. Each is successful in its medium although each include pieces that are not found in the other. Joshi comments that Serling has used pacing well, each correct for the medium and that "in spite of Serling's own doubts on the matter – he mastered the short story technique in every way."

Teaching

Serling kept his schedule full. When he wasn't writing, promoting or producing his work, he was often seen speaking on college campuses all over the country. He would also teach week-long classes on film in which students would watch films and then critique them. In the political climate of the 1960s, he often felt a stronger rapport with older students in his evening classes than he did with the youth of the day.

By the fourth season of ''Twilight Zone,'' Serling was exhausted and turned much of the writing over to a trusted stable of writers, writing only seven episodes himself. In an attempt to take a break and clear his mind, he took a one-year teaching job as writer in residence at Antioch College. He taught classes in the 1962–63 school year on writing, drama, and a survey course covering the "social and historical implications of the media." He used this time to teach as well as work on a new screenplay, ''Seven Days in May''.

Later he also taught at Ithaca College from 1970 until his death in 1975.

Themes

According to his wife, Rod Serling often said that "the ultimate obscenity is not caring, not doing something about what you feel, not feeling! Just drawing back and drawing in; becoming narcissistic." This philosophy can be seen in his writing. Some themes appear again and again in his writing; many are concerned with war and politics. Another common theme is equality among all humans.

Anti-war activism

Serling's experiences as a soldier left him with strong opinions about the use of military force. He was an outspoken anti-war activist, especially during the Vietnam War. He supported anti-war politicians, most notably Eugene McCarthy in his presidential bid.

'' The Rack '' is a prime example of Serling's using television to speak his mind on political issues. It tells the story of an army captain charged with collaborating with the North Koreans. The ''New York Times'' reviewer, J. P. Shanley, called it 'controversial and compelling'. Serling tackled a question that was much in the media at the time: should veterans be charged with a crime if they cooperated with the enemy while under duress? In this courtroom drama the accused is put on trial for helping the enemy by urging fellow prisoners of war to cooperate with their captors. Serling offers many valid arguments on behalf of both the defense and the prosecution. Each has a strong case, but in the end, the Captain is found guilty. There is no Serling narration to conclude the drama, as he had become famous for in ''The Twilight Zone''; instead, the audience is left to make their own conclusions after the verdict has been rendered.

'' No Christmas This Year '' was a script written early in Serling's career, around 1950, but was never produced. It told of a place that no longer celebrated Christmas, although none of the residents know why it has been canceled. Meanwhile, in the North Pole the audience sees Santa Claus dealing with striking elves. Rather than creating toys and candy, the North Pole manufactures a diversity of bombs and offensive gases. Santa has been shot at on his route, and an Elf was hit by shrapnel.

'' 24 Men to a Plane ''recounts Serling's first combat airdrop into the area around Manila in 1945. The drop was a fiasco after the jump-master in the first plane dropped their men too early, causing every plane after them to drop in synchronicity with their mistake.

Misanthropy

S.T. Joshi devotes a portion of his book to covering pieces that he believes show a misanthropic side to Serling. Specifically, Joshi refers to "the degree to which his vision of human life is dark, pessimistic, cynical and even misanthropic." His sources include "The Fever", "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street", "Mr. Dingle, the Strong" and "The Shelter", all of which show how easily humans can be turned against anyone who is different from themselves. Joshi also sees a dislike of the human being in the way Serling often uses supernatural beings and situations to get revenge upon innately evil characters, specifically bullies and those who misuse positions of power such as the thieves in "The Rip Van Winkle Caper".

Racial equality

'' A Town Has Turned to Dust '' received a positive review from critic Jack Gould, who was known for being straightforward to the point of being harsh in his reviews. He called ''A Town Has Turned to Dust'', "a raw tough and at the same time deeply moving outcry against prejudice." Set in a Southwestern town suffering a deep drought, poverty and despair turn racial tensions deadly when the ineffectual sheriff is unable to stand against the town. A young Mexican boy is lynched, and the town as a whole is to blame. A second lynching is in the works after a series of events leads again to the town turning against the Mexicans. This time, the sheriff stands strong, and the first boy's brother is saved, even as the town is not. "Mr. Serling incorporated his protest against prejudice in vivid dialogue and sound situations. He made his point that hate for a fellow being leads only to the ultimate destruction of the bigoted."

Serling took his 1972 screenplay for the film ''The Man'' from the Irving Wallace novel of the same title. The black Senator from New Hampshire, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, played by James Earl Jones in a stellar cast, assumes the US Presidency by succession.

Death

On May 3, 1975, Serling, a long-time chain cigarette smoker, suffered a minor heart attack and was hospitalized. He spent two weeks at Tompkins County Community Hospital before being released. A second heart attack two weeks later forced doctors to agree that open-heart surgery, though considered risky at the time, was in order. The 10-hour long procedure was carried out on June 28, but Serling suffered a heart attack on the operating table and died two days later. He was 50 years old. His funeral took place on July 2.

A memorial was held in Cornell University's Sage Chapel on July 7, 1975. Speakers at the Memorial included his daughter, Anne, and the Reverend John F. Hayward. Only five months later the U.S. entered WWII, and the television business was put on hold until war's end, as many of the sets were confiscated by the government and re-purposed to train air-raid wardens. Serling began having serious dramas produced in 1950 and is given credit as one of the first to write scripts specifically for the medium of television. As such, he is said to have helped legitimize television drama.

The format of writing for television was in flux in the beginning but eventually settled into a pattern in which time was set aside for a commercial break on the quarter hour. Writers, Serling included, were forced to write around a break in the action. Serling's response to this convention was, "How can you put out a meaningful drama when every fifteen minutes proceedings are interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits with toilet paper? No dramatic art form should be dictated and controlled by men whose training and instincts are cut of an entirely different cloth. The fact remains that these gentlemen sell consumer goods, not an art form." Throughout his career Serling helped to mold the future of television.

Challenging the censors

Known as 'the angry young man' by those who witnessed his battles with network executives over censorship, Serling revolutionized the way writers and sponsors interacted.

Writing for multiple media

As early as 1955 Jack Gould from the ''New York Times'' commented on the close ties that were then being created between television and the big screen by writers. Serling was one of the first to exploit crossover between media by turning his early television successes, ''Patterns'' and ''The Rack'' into full-length movie productions. Up to that time, many established writers were often unwilling to write for television because the medium was often only viewed once then shunted into a vault, never to be seen again.

Beginning of the rerun

After the first showing of ''Patterns'', the studio received such high feedback that they produced a repeat performance, which was the first time that a television show had been shown again at the behest of the audience. Although successful shows had sometimes been recreated after two years or more, this was the first time a show was recreated exactly – with the same cast and crew – as it had been originally created. The second live performance, only a month later, was equally successful and inspired New York Times critic Jack Gould to write an essay on the use of re-plays within the tele-play format. He stated that ''Patterns'' was a prime example of a drama that should be seen more than once, as was the norm for television shows of the day. Sponsors believed that creating new shows every week would assure them the largest possible audience, and so they purchased a new script for each night. Gould suggested that as new networks were opened and the viewers were given more choices, the percentage of viewers would spread out among the offerings. ''Patterns'' was proof that a second showing would garner more viewers because those who missed the first showing could then watch it the second showing, adding to the total viewers and reaching a larger audience for sponsors.

Effects on popular culture

During his lifetime

After the made-for-television movie ''The Doomsday Flight'' was released in December 1966, a rash of copy-cats phoned in ransom demands to most of the largest airlines. The fictional plot concerned an airplane with a bomb aboard. If the plane landed without the ransom money being paid, the aircraft would explode. The bomb was set with an altitude trigger so if the plane dropped below four thousand feet, it would detonate. The show was one of the highest rated of the television season, but both Serling and his brother Robert, a technical advisor on the project (a specialist in aviation), regretted making the film. Serling himself was truly devastated by what his script had encouraged. He told reporters who flocked to interview him, "I wish to Christ that I had written a stagecoach drama starring John Wayne instead."

After being knocked out in a 1961 boxing match Archie Moore said, "Man, I was in the Twilight Zone!"

Also in 1961, the FCC chairman Newton Minow gave a speech in which he called television programing a 'vast wasteland', citing The Twilight Zone as one of only a few exceptions. Serling's widow, Carol, maintains that the cult status that now surrounds both her husband and his shows continues to be a surprise, "as I'm sure it would have been to him." "It won't go away. It keeps bobbing up...Each year, I think, well, that's it—and then something else turns up."

''The Twilight Zone'' has been rerun, re-created and re-imagined since soon after it went off the air in 1964. It has been released in comic book form, as a magazine, a movie, and two additional television series from 1985 to 1989 and again from 2002 to 2003. In 1988, J. Michael Straczynski scripted Serling's outline "Our Selena Is Dying" for the 1980s revival ''The New Twilight Zone''.

Even those who have never seen a black and white episode of the original ''Twilight Zone'' are now able to read some of Serling's work in graphic novel format. ''Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone'' is a series of adaptations by Mark Kneece and Rich Ellis based on original scripts written by Serling.

''The Twilight Zone'' is not the only Serling work to reappear throughout the years. In 1994, Rod Serling's Lost Classics released two never-before-seen works that Carol Serling found in her garage. The first was an outline called "The Theatre" that Richard Matheson expanded. The second was a complete script written by Serling titled "Where the Dead Are".

Serling was ranked #1 in ''TV Guide'''s list of the "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends" (in the August 1, 2004 issue). He was also the only real-life person on the list. All the others were fictitious characters.

More than 30 years after his death, Serling was digitally resurrected for an episode of the TV series ''Medium'' that aired on November 21, 2005. The episode, filmed partially in 3-D, opened with Serling's introducing the episode and instructing viewers as to when to put on their 3-D glasses. This was accomplished by using footage from ''The Twilight Zone'' episode "The Midnight Sun" and digitally manipulating Serling's mouth to match new dialogue spoken by impersonator Mark Silverman. The plot of the episode involved paintings coming to life, a nod to both ''The Twilight Zone'' and ''Night Gallery''.

On 11 August 2009, the United States Postal Service released its ''Early TV Memories'' commemorative stamp collection, honoring notable television programs. One of the twenty stamps honored ''The Twilight Zone'' and featured a portrait of Rod Serling.

Rod Serling and his works on ''The Twilight Zone'' went on to inspire the basis for the Walt Disney attraction, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The attraction takes place in an abandoned Hollywood hotel that was struck by lightning and caused the mysterious disappearance of five hotel guests. Riders enter an abandoned elevator shaft as they soon become part of their very own "lost episode" of ''The Twilight Zone''. The attraction takes guests up thirteen stories and drops them multiple times. Again, Mark Silverman provides the impersonation of Rod Serling for both the Walt Disney World and California Adventure versions of the ride.

Influences on other writers

When casting for the role of the shady Mr. Morden for the television series ''Babylon 5'', creator J. Michael Straczynski chose Ed Wasser (who had played a bit part in the series' two-hour pilot TV movie) for the role because of his slick looks, charm, and vocal mannerisms reminiscent of a young Rod Serling.

Awards, honors, and memberships

EmmyEmmyPeabody AwardWriters Guild of America AwardChristopher AwardWriters Guild of America AwardEmmyEmmyEmmyHugo AwardEmmyHugo AwardGolden Globe AwardHugo AwardEmmyWriters Guild of America AwardGolden Globe AwardEdgar Allan Poe AwardChristopher AwardDaytime Emmy Award

style="background-color: #BCBCBC"	Year	Award	Category	Film or series
1955	Emmy	Best Original Teleplay Writing
1955	|	Nomination	''Climax!''
1956	|	Best Teleplay Writing	''Requiem for a Heavyweight''
1956	|	Personal Recognition for Writing	''Requiem for a Heavyweight''
1956	|	Best One Hour Drama	''Requiem for a Heavyweight''
1957	|		''Requiem for a Heavyweight''
1956	|	Best One Hour Drama	''A Town Has Turned to Dust''
1959	|	Best Teleplay Writing	''The Comedian''
1960	|	Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama	''The Twilight Zone''
1960	|	Nomination	''A Town Has Turned to Dust''
1960	|		''The Twilight Zone''
1961	|	Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama	''The Twilight Zone''
1961	|		''The Twilight Zone''
1962	|	Best Male Television Star	''The Twilight Zone''
1962	|		''The Twilight Zone''
1963	|	Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama	''It's Mental Work''
1964	|	Nomination	''Seven Days in May''
1965	|	Best Director	''The Twilight Zone''
1970	|	Special Edgar	Best episode of a TV series for ''Night Gallery''
1971	|
2001	|	Nomination (posthumous)	Writing For A Children/Youth/Family Special

Honors

Serling was inducted posthumously into the Television Hall of Fame in 1985.

A star honoring Serling can be found at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Memberships

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

– New York City chapter, board of governors 1956–57; – California chapter, 1959; – national president, 1965–66

Writers Guild of America West

– council member, 1965–67

Selected works

Filmography

''Patterns'' (1955)

''Requiem for a Heavyweight'' (1956)

''The Comedian'' (1957)

''A Town Has Turned to Dust'' (1958)

''The Velvet Alley'' (1958)

''The Twilight Zone'' (1959–1964 television series)

''Seven Days in May'' (1964)

''Night Gallery'' (1970–1973 television series)

''It Has Begun'' (1974 UFO Documentary)

''Planet of the Apes'' (1968), co-written with Michael Wilson

''The Loner'' (TV series)

''The Man'' (story and screenplay)

''Encounter with the Unknown'' (1975) (narrator)

''The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau'' as the Narrator; these specials were produced by Alan Landsburg in the 1960s and 1970s

Bibliography

''Stories from the Twilight Zone'', Bantam (New York City), 1960.

''More Stories from the Twilight Zone'', Bantam, 1961.

''New Stories from the Twilight Zone'', Bantam, 1962.

''From the Twilight Zone'', Doubleday (Garden City, NJ), 1962.

''Requiem for a Heavyweight: A Reading Version of the Dramatic Script'', Bantam, 1962.

''Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone'', Grosset, 1963.

''Rod Serling's Triple W: Witches, Warlocks and Werewolves; A Collection'',(Editor) Bantam, 1963.

''Twilight Zone Revisited'', Grosset, 1964.

''The Season to Be Wary'' (3 novellas, "Escape Route", "Color Scheme", and "Eyes"), Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1967.

''Devils and Demons: A Collection'', Bantam, 1967. (Editor and author of introduction)

''Night Gallery'', Bantam, 1971.

''Night Gallery 2'', Bantam, 1972.

''Rod Serling's Other Worlds'', Bantam, 1978.

Short stories

Escape Clause (1960)

The Fever (1960)

The Mighty Casey (1960)

The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (1960)

Walking Distance (1960)

Where is Everybody? (1960)

The Big, Tall Wish (1961)

Dust (1961)

The Lonely (1961)

Mr Dingle, the Strong (1961)

The Odyssey of Flight 33 (1961)

A Stop at Willoughby (1961)

A Thing About Machines (1961)

The Midnight Sun (1962)

The Night of the Meek (1962)

The Rip Van Winkle Caper (1962)

The Shelter (1962)

Showdown with Rance McGrew (1962)

The Whole Truth (1962)

The Riddle of the Crypt (1963)

The Escape Route (1967)

The Sole Survivor (1971)

Lindemann's Catch (1972)

Suggestion (1972)

Posthumous releases

''Rod Serling's Lost Classics'', 1994 telefilm

Notes

References

Further reading

DeVoe, Bill. (2008) ''Trivia from The Twilight Zone''. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. ISBN 978-1593931360

Grams, Martin. (2008) ''The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic''. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. ISBN 978-0970331090

Nicholls, Peter (1979) ''Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' Granada.

Marc Scott Zicree. (1992) ''Twilight Zone Companion'' Silman-James Press. ISBN 978-1879505094

External links

The Rod Serling Museum – Binghamton, New York

Serling entry in Unitarian Universalist Biographical Dictionary

Rod Serling's Dream Town of Willoughby

Rod Serling Archives at Ithaca College – scripts, screenplays, films, published works by Serling, and secondary materials

Rod Serling Conference at Ithaca College

1959 interview by Mike Wallace

* The interview as video (21:31)

An Interview with Carol Serling: 'Life With Rod'

Rod Serling Archive at the Wisconsin Historical Society Serling's papers consist of roughly 80,000 documents ranging from scripts to personal correspondence, including a folder of angry letters received by Serling

Rod Serling's gravestone

''Twilight Zone'' and Serling's writings

Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone music

You're Entering The Twilight Zone (BBC Radio 4 programme)

Category:American horror writers Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:American science fiction writers Category:American television writers Category:American Unitarian Universalists Category:Antioch College alumni Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Deaths from surgical complications Category:Ithaca College faculty Category:Peabody Award winners Category:Writers from New York Category:People from Binghamton, New York Category:People from Ithaca, New York Category:People from Syracuse, New York Category:Recipients of the Bronze Star Medal Category:Recipients of the Combat Infantryman Badge Category:Recipients of the Purple Heart medal Category:The Twilight Zone Category:United States Army soldiers Category:1924 births Category:1975 deaths Category:American Jews

de:Rod Serling es:Rod Serling fr:Rod Serling it:Rod Serling nl:Rod Serling ja:ロッド・サーリング no:Rod Serling pl:Rod Serling pt:Rod Serling simple:Rod Serling sr:Rod Serling sh:Rod Serling fi:Rod Serling tr:Rod Serling

name	Robert Scott Lazar
birth date	January 26, 1959
birth place	Coral Gables, Florida
occupation	Former photo processor/owner of United Nuclear
spouse	Joy White
children	}}

Robert Scott Lazar or Bob Lazar (born January 26, 1959, in Coral Gables, Florida, United States, to Albert Lazar and Phyllis Berliner), claims to have worked from 1988 until 1989 as a physicist at an area called S-4 (Sector Four), allegedly located near Groom Lake, Nevada, at the location also known as Area 51. According to Lazar, S-4 served as a hidden military location for the study and possible reverse engineering of extraterrestrial flying saucers. Lazar says he saw nine different discs there and provides details on their mode of propulsion. However, his credibility has come under fire after "schools he was supposed to have attended had no record of him, while others in the scientific community had no memory of ever meeting him."

Education

Lazar claims to hold degrees from the California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1993, the ''Los Angeles Times'' looked into his background and found there was no evidence to support those claims. Stanton Friedman was only able to verify that Lazar took electronics courses in the late 1970s at Pierce Junior College. The ''Times'' did discover that in 1990 Lazar had pled guilty to felony pandering, when he installed a computer system for a local brothel, declared bankruptcy and listed his occupation as self-employed photo processor on documents. A 1991 ''Times'' article reported, Lazar was "on probation in Clark County, Nevada, on a pandering charge. His educational and professional background cannot be verified -- a fact he attributes to government deletion of records."

Scientific research

Lazar first jumped on the media map in 1982 in the ''Los Alamos Monitor''. The article titled "LA MAN JOINS THE JET SET - AT 200 MILES AN HOUR" was about a jet car that Lazar had created and worked on for years with help from a NASA researcher. The car was built from a jet engine modified and placed on an existing car model. It is also important to note that the article noted Lazar as "a physicist at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility", as it is one media article that puts Robert on the map as a physicist.

In November 1989, Lazar appeared in a special interview with investigative reporter George Knapp on Las Vegas TV station KLAS to discuss his purported employment at S-4. In his interview with Knapp, Lazar said he first thought the saucers were secret terrestrial aircraft whose test flights must have been responsible for many UFO reports. Gradually, on closer examination and from having been shown multiple briefing documents, Lazar came to the conclusion that the discs were of extraterrestrial origin. In his filmed testimony Lazar explains how this impression first hit him after he boarded one craft being studied and examined its interior.

For the propulsion of the studied vehicles, Bob Lazar claims that the atomic Element 115 served as a nuclear fuel. Element 115 (nicknamed 'Ununpentium' (Uup)) reportedly provided an energy source which would produce anti-gravity effects under proton bombardment along with antimatter for energy production. As the intense strong nuclear force field of Element 115's nucleus would be properly amplified, the resulting large-scale gravitational effect would be a distortion of the surrounding space-time continuum that would, in effect, greatly shorten the distance and travel time to a charted destination.

Lazar also claims that he was given introductory briefings describing the historical involvement by extraterrestrial beings with this planet for the past 100 000 years. The beings originate from the Zeta Reticuli 1 & 2 star system and are therefore referred to as Zeta Reticulans, popularly called 'Greys'.

Fact or Fiction

His stories have garnered some rather interesting fanfare and media attention. Some hold out for Bob's story, but the majority of others remain skeptical. Including Stanton Friedman, who looked into Lazar's claims and did his own investigating on the matter. Another debunker is Dr. David L. Morgan. Morgan looked into all of Lazar's scientific claims and put down most of the ideas that Lazar had elaborated on in his description of the alien spacecraft, particularly its propulsion systems and use of Element 115. Morgan also went on to say, "After reading an account by Bob Lazar of the “physics” of his Area 51 UFO propulsion system, my conclusion is this: Mr. Lazar presents a scenario which, if it is correct, violates a whole handful of currently accepted physical theories. That in and of itself does not necessarily mean that his scenario is impossible. But the presentation of the scenario by Lazar is troubling from a scientific standpoint. Mr. Lazar on many occasions demonstrates an obvious lack of understanding of current physical theories."

Desert Blast

Lazar and long time friend Gene Huff run Desert Blast, an annual festival for "explodaholics" in the Nevada desert. Starting in 1987 (but only formally named in 1991, inspired by Desert Storm) the festival features home-made explosives, rockets, jet-powered vehicles, and other pyrotechnics, with the intention of emphasizing the fun aspect of physics.

United Nuclear

In the year 2000 Lazar started United Nuclear, an amateur scientific supply company formerly operated in Sandia Park, New Mexico and recently moved to Laingsburg, MI. United Nuclear sells a variety of materials including radioactive ores, powerful magnets, scientific curiosities like aerogel, and a variety of lab chemicals. United Nuclear claims "over 300,000 satisfied customers," including law-enforcement agencies, schools and amateur scientists.

In 2006 Lazar and wife Joy White were charged with violating the Federal Hazardous Substances Act for shipping restricted chemicals across state lines following a federal investigation started in 2003. The charges stemmed from a 2003 raid on Lazar's business where chemical sales records were examined. The maximum penalty is 270 days in prison and a $15,000 fine. Lazar claimed that he mistakenly concluded that he could legally sell the chemicals after finding incorrect information on the internet.

In 2007 Lazar/United Nuclear were fined $7,500 for violating a law against selling chemicals and components used to make illegal fireworks. Lazar "pled guilty to three criminal counts of introducing into interstate commerce and aiding and abetting the introduction into interstate commerce of banned hazardous substances." Lazar also "entered into a consent decree that permanently limits the amount of future sales of fireworks-related chemicals", and United Nuclear Scientific Equipment and Supplies was placed on probation for three years.

Lazar again gained attention in 2006 from news reports that he sold small amounts of Polonium, a radioactive element which was in the news because of its role in fatally poisoning former Soviet intelligence agent and whistleblower Alexander Litvinenko.

Documentary & Media Appearances

Weird Travels (TV Series) - 2003

Encounters With The Unexplained (TV Series) - 2000

Close Encounters: Proof of Alien Contact (video) - 2000

Area 51: The Alien Interview (Video) - 1997

Dreamland: Area 51 (TV Documentary) - 1996

Future Fantastic (TV Series) - 1996

Yaoi Jun'ichi UFO shuzai tokuhô dai 3 dan (TV Documentary) - 1990

References

External links

/ Mirror website

United Nuclear (a company founded by Bob Lazar)

The Bob Lazar Corner

Category:1959 births Category:Conspiracy theorists Category:Living people Category:UFO conspiracy theorists Category:People from Coral Gables, Florida Category:Los Angeles Pierce College people

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